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Coronavirus in China: more cases to come in Xinjiang amid outbreak uncertainty, says health official
- On Thursday, region reported 97 new asymptomatic infections, including 40 in the capital Urumqi
- Improper mask wearing and reopening workplaces in September contributed to latest resurgence in infection, says Xinjiang CDC expert
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More Covid-19 cases will emerge in Xinjiang in the coming days as the far western region faces “uncertainty”, according to its top disease control expert.
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Outbreaks continued in the region’s major cities over the past week after cases had subsided last month, Ni Mingjian, chief expert with the Xinjiang Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters late on Wednesday.
Xinjiang officials have since urged local residents to stay put and not leave the region. All outbound passenger train services were suspended on Tuesday to stop the outbreak spreading to other provinces.
On Thursday, the region reported 97 new asymptomatic infections, including 40 in the capital Urumqi. There have been 452 asymptomatic cases since the latest outbreaks began in August.
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Xinjiang restricts outbound travel as officials admit to Covid-19 mistakes
Xinjiang restricts outbound travel as officials admit to Covid-19 mistakes
According to Ni, there has been a rebound in cases in the past two days in regions such as Urumqi, Yining in Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, Korla and the Gaochang district in Turpan.
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The chief expert attributed the rebound to four key factors.
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