Residents line up to take nucleic acid tests in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province on January 4, 2021. Photo: VCG

Central China's Henan Province has stepped up efforts to control the latest round of the COVID-19 outbreak, as all cross-provincial travel was paused on Wednesday, while several epidemic-hit cities have sealed off key regions and partially suspended schools and public venues to curb the virus' spread.

Henan, home to about 100 million people, reported four new local confirmed cases and 18 asymptomatic cases on Wednesday, with the total number rising to 10 and 42, respectively, as of press time. Six places have seen COVID-19 infections surge since December 31, 2021.

The capital city, Zhengzhou, launched a city-wide nucleic acid testing on Wednesday, and temporarily suspended all primary, middle and kindergarten schools in epidemic-control areas, with online courses in place. 

Zhengzhou has reported two local confirmed cases and nine asymptomatic cases in the latest COVID-19 spike. The city initially identified three chains of transmission in mahjong rooms, funerals and family gatherings, with a total of 161 close contacts and 335 secondary contacts detected. 

In Erqi district, one of the two sealed-off districts in Zhengzhou, a resident surnamed Zhu told the Global Times on Wednesday that epidemic prevention personnel have offered timely assistance to residents in her community with their home quarantine. 

"The community workers got my mom diabetes drugs within five hours after we made the request on Tuesday. It came just in time," she said. 

On Wednesday, Shangqiu in central Henan also issued a notice asking all local residents not to leave the city unless it's necessary. For those who do need to leave for a business trip or to seek medical treatment, they must present a negative nucleic acid testing result gained within 48 hours.

Off-campus tutoring for primary and middle school students, pubs, museums, cinemas and other indoor public venues have been closed, the notice said. 

Xuchang, another city in Henan of approximately 4.4 million people, has sealed off 10 epidemic-hit areas. All villages, communities and key public transit points in the city have set up checkpoints to take the temperatures of people entering, and check their health codes.

Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Shangqiu, Zhoukou, Xinxiang and other places required an in-advance report from arrivals during the Spring Festival holidays, and called for local residents not to leave the city or the province if unnecessary.

The latest COVID-19 outbreak in Henan started in Luoyang on December 31, 2021, when the city reported four local cases. Local clustered infections have been seen in multiple places in China, including Northwest China's Shaanxi Province and East China's Zhejiang Province.