Covid-19: Nanjing outbreak spreads to 15 other cities

The Delta variant infection traced to city airport. The capital has also been affected. The infection in Jiangsu is more serious than recent ones in Guangdong and Yunnan. Authorities respond with lockdowns and mass screening. In an effort to contain contagions from Myanmar, Beijing is also providing vaccines to ethnic militias fighting the coup junta.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The outbreak of Covid-19 in Nanjing (Jiangsu) has spread to 15 other cities, including the capital, according to Chinese health authorities, who add that it is the Delta variant of the coronavirus. It is the worst wave of infections since January, exceeding those that occurred in Guangdong between May and June and the most recent one in Yunnan.

Since 20 July, there have been 167 cases of infection in Nanjing. The epidemic spread from the city's international airport, which was closed on 27 July. Yesterday, 64 new infections were registered in the country, most of them in Jiangsu. Including cases in Beijing, Chengdu (Sichuan), Guangdong and Hunan provinces, the number of infections linked to the Nanjing outbreak is over 200.

The official figures presented by the government are still very low compared to other countries, especially in Southeast Asia. However, the central authorities are concerned, accusing the Nanjing airport administration of failing to take the necessary measures to isolate the cleaners who are said to be the source of the infection.

In response to the new outbreaks, the Chinese leadership has ordered a 'zero tolerance' approach, with mass screening and extensive lockdowns. In Yunnan, on the border with Myanmar, Beijing sent thousands of soldiers to control the border. The Chinese have also supplied doses of anti-Covid vaccine to the coup military junta and some ethnic militias fighting it.

• china
• beijing
• nanjing
• jiangsu
• guangdong
• yunnan
• covid-19
• pandemic
• virus
• coronavirus
• lockdown
• vaccine
• economy
• myanmar