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Coronavirus: China tests tens of millions as second wave of virus hits 17 provinces
- China records 94 more locally transmitted cases, including 41 in flood-ravaged Henan province
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China reported another 94 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases as the country continued to fight the most serious outbreak since last year’s peak in Wuhan, testing tens of millions of people across the country.
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Of the new infections, 41 were in Henan, the central province hit hard by floods last month after record-breaking rainfall, the National Health Commission said on Monday, reporting cases for Sunday.
Another 38 were in Jiangsu, the eastern province whose capital city Nanjing reported the first cases in China’s second wave of the coronavirus disease. In nearby Hunan province, 12 cases were detected while three were in neighbouring Hubei.
The outbreak has spread to 17 provinces, after the highly transmissible Delta variant was detected among airport staff in Nanjing on July 20, creating the country’s biggest challenge since the epidemic was largely contained last year.
The surge in new cases has triggered mass testing, lockdowns and travel restrictions, and officials have been removed from positions and punished over Covid-19 failures. Beijing has also tightened travel restrictions for its citizens as part of efforts to contain the infection.
There are now 216 areas designated as high or medium risk in mainland China, the highest number since the epidemic control became “normalised” last year.
Nanjing, with a population of 9 million, has finished five rounds of mass testing and is conducting the sixth round of partial regional testing, while new rounds of mass testing are continuing in other cities hit by outbreaks.
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