Students wait at an observation area after receiving COVID-19 vaccines at a vaccination site in a middle school in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 19, 2021. Zhengzhou recently started COVID-19 vaccination for minors aged between 12 and 17.Photo:Xinhua

The government of Central China's Henan Province vowed on Monday to resolutely contain the spread of the ongoing COVID-19 resurgence by November 15, after the latest domestic flare-up continued to spread to 20 provincial-level regions including Henan where students and kindergarten children have been infected. 

Lou Yangsheng, secretary of Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said at Sunday's provincial epidemic control and prevention meeting that local governments must fully be aware of the complexity, severity and uncertainty of the epidemic prevention and control work. They should be vigilant and prepared for regular prevention and control measures, Health Commission of Henan Province said on its website on Monday. 

As for the current resurgence, Lou said that the province must resolutely contain the spread of COVID-19 by November 15. He urged local governments to enhance epidemiological investigations, research on origins tracing, and focus on close contacts and groups with high risks. 

Lou stressed that local governments must pay equal attention to people, goods and environment in preventing the spread of the virus. They should strictly implement the monitoring and management of inbound visitors and fortify disinfection of cold-chain frozen products, international mails and goods. 

He also called on strict COVID-19 policies in schools through screening all students and faculty members. 

Henan Province recorded 18 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases as of midnight Sunday, with 16 in Zhengzhou and 2 in Zhoukou, the National Health Commission said on Monday. 

Zhengzhou so far has reported 28 confirmed cases and 10 silent carriers, and the majority of them were students and faculty members of kindergartens, primary schools and a high school. 

The latest resurgence of COVID-19 in China has affected students and kindergarten children in at least four places - Beijing, Gansu, Hebei and Heilongjiang.

Wang Qinghua, chief immunologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stressed the urgency to vaccinate children at a press conference in Beijing on Saturday. The latest open data shows that as of October 29, more than 3.53 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered to children aged 3 to 11 across the country. 

Global Times