A security officer checks a truck at the border checkpoint in Suifenhe in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.Photo: IC

Suifenhe, a major China-Russia border port city in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, reported three new COVID-19 cases and nine asymptomatic cases on Tuesday. The infected individuals have all been transferred into designated hospitals for further treatment. 

The city has already launched an emergency-response plan and took initial screening and investigation of all close contacts, who are now under quarantine for medical observation. The epidemiological investigation and mass nucleic acid testing are ongoing. 

The port city, like others including Manzhouli of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Khorgas in Northwest China's Xinjiang and Ruili of Southwest China's Yunnan, has been at the frontline in fending off the risks of imported cases and the transmission of the virus through port trading activities over the past two years. 

The source that triggered the current flare-up remains unknown. Some local residents in Suifenhe reached out by the Global Times on Tuesday said the city has stepped up efforts in containing the virus spread. 

A local businessman who works at the Suifenhe port told the Global Times on Tuesday on condition of anonymity that they were told not to leave the city unless it's necessary.

"We have seen COVID-19 flare-ups for about three times over the past two years, and there's been highly strict anti-epidemic rules on the port activities, for example, the overall port efficiency now decreased about 50 percent and port staff work in a closed loop," he said. 

There have been tight restrictions on imported products, for example, cold-chain products have been banned since last year, he said, noting that local residents have to take routine nucleic acid tests once every five days. 

Dongning, a neighboring city to Suifenhe, also reported a new COVID-19 case on Tuesday - a person who returned from Suifenhe - according to local health authority. 

Suifenhe conducted nucleic acid testing exercise in some areas on Monday and residents were required to stay home until the results were released at noon on Tuesday, according to a notice from the COVID-19 prevention and control department of Suifenhe.

"The newly reported COVID-19 cases were the result of the nucleic acid test exercise conducted on Monday. The border city between China and Russia has always been implementing a closed loop management, with truck drivers on both sides of the border not getting out of their vehicles but only unloading cargo," a local source told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Global Times