Medical workers prepare for nucleic acid test at a testing site in Zhenhai District of Ningbo City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 12, 2021.Photo:Xinhua

 

Port city Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang Province, has shut down parts of the city due to recent epidemic surge that caused 23 infections in two days. It is the second Chinese city to implement lockdown measures in this winter outbreak following Xi'an, which has seen a record high of 1,663 infections since early December.

Local health officials in Ningbo reported 23 COVID-19 confirmed cases as of Monday at a press conference. All of the cases were from a clothing manufacturing workshop Shenzhou International, which experts said the possibility of object-to-human infection couldn't be ruled out. 

Genetic sequencing showed that the infections are of the Delta variant AY.57 branch, sharing high genome sequence homology with the virus strains in Vietnam, officials said. 

In efforts to curb the virus spread, Ningbo's Beilun district on Tuesday announced to take stricter control measures and strengthen "hardcore quarantine" in a notice. 

For sealed-off areas, residents are not allowed to step outside their homes and services will be provided for them. For areas under epidemic control measures, people are not allowed to leave the area. And for epidemic prevention areas, gathering activities are strictly limited.

All business units in sealed-off areas will be closed, and life necessities and urgent medication needs will be delivered to the residents by government personnel.

Sports, entertainment, and religious venues will also be shut down in the Beilun district. Weddings and funerals will also be strictly limited. 

Middle and primary schools will suspend offline teaching activities in Beilun starting from Tuesday. 

The local government vowed to crack down on any acts that disrupt social order including hoarding and price gouging. For those refusing to follow epidemic prevention rules, or making up rumors and provoking trouble, they will be punished severely according to the law. 

A third massive COVID-19 screening test on all personnel in risk areas has been completed, all returning negative test results on Monday. 

Global Times