Residents take nucleic acid test of COVID-19 in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province on October 29, 2022. Photo: VCG

The city of Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province is facing pressure from imported COVID-19 cases from other provinces and from overseas, and there has also been a local rebound. The manufacturing hub reported 527 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Sunday and it has dealt with a total of 260 COVID-related incidents since October 1.

"COVID-19 infections were imported through various ways such as by air, rail, road freight and self-drive. People tested positive include freight drivers, tourists, students, and those coming to Guangzhou for medical treatment," Zhang Yi, deputy director of Guangzhou health commission, said on Monday press conference.

Zhang said these people have complex travel history which included urban villages, Internet cafes, hospitals, schools of all levels, large supermarkets and wholesale markets, explaining such huge movement of people has resulted in the increasing daily infections in recent days.

According to flight information provider Flight Master, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has canceled 888 flights as of 12 pm on Monday.

Officials pointed out that there are still flaws in campus COVID-19 prevention as students from kindergartens, elementary and high schools mainly got infected by family members who live with them, and college students were infected by their classmates or at the community level.

While 521 of 527 locally-transmitted cases reported on Sunday were detected within quarantine zones, six cases were found through community screening or at hospitals' fever clinic, said the official, urging the public to reduce unnecessary outgoing and avoid group gathering activities.

Global Times