Medical staff wait to collect swab samples from residents for COVID-19 test in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

The Qingdao health department announced Sunday morning that the outbreak in Huangdao District was caused by the infection of people who received express deliveries from affected areas in other provinces. However, Xue Qingguo, the deputy mayor of the city, clarified in the afternoon press briefing on the same day that the cause was actually objects carrying the Omicron variant, "but not express deliveries."

At present, work to trace the origin of the outbreak has come to an end. After careful investigation and analysis of human transmission, physical transmission and environment transmission, the cause of the outbreak was determined to be a small family and friends gathering with accidental factors, the health department of Huangdao District, Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, announced on Sunday. The outbreak was caused by Omicron variant. 
 
The district reported two new COVID-19 cases on Friday, according to the latest information from the health department.

By the end of Saturday, there were 36 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases in Qingdao, all of which were quarantined, except one new case associated with the epidemic preciously in Laixi, a city under the administration of Qingdao. All of them tested positive on Saturday. Based on the epidemiological history, clinical manifestations and laboratory test results, the expert team confirmed the 36 cases are mild COVID-19 cases and are currently receiving treatment in designated hospitals.

As of Saturday, a total of 91 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in Laixi, including 78 students, 9 teachers, and four cases screened in key population. Experts have diagnosed all cases as mild.

According to the latest information of Qingdao epidemic prevention and control press conference held on Sunday, the genetic sequencing of the current outbreak in Laixi, Qingdao, showed that the virus belongs to the Omicron variant strain, which is different from the current imported cases at home and abroad. The possibility of association with the previous cases in Huangdao District has been ruled out, and the main risk source of Laixi has been cut off.

Global Times