Sarah Jane LeeThe city of Shijiazhuang in China has gone into partial lockdown after the province reported 63 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Located in Hebei, approximately 300km from Beijing, the city has entered “war-time mode”. Reports of this spike in infections have heightened anxiety over a new wave of inspections potentially spreading in the country. Chinese authorities fear yet another lockdown in China to curb the worrying rise in COVID-19 cases.
Also read: Japan Prepares For State Of Emergency in Tokyo After COVID-19 Cases Surge
Fear of COVID-19’s return to China
Out of 63 reported cases, 43 were asymptomatic. A number of these cases attended wedding banquets or celebrations in the city prior to this. Chinese health experts expect the infection rates to climb, sparking fear in Beijing as they continue to fight their own outbreak.
Dr Jin Dong-yan, a virology professor at the University of Hong Kong, stated how “worrying” it is with the virus spreading unnoticed for a while. Mass gatherings and weddings in China have resumed as in pre-COVID times. As such, undetected cases could erupt into superspreader events if left unnoticed.
Longer quarantine periods
City officials on Tuesday announced that international travellers arriving in Beijing must quarantine for 21 days. This is an additional seven days from the original 14-day quarantine period.
The first 14 days must be served in a government-designated facility, while the remaining seven days can be completed at home with approval from local authorities.
Measures in place as Chinese New Year holiday approaches
Inter-city buses, along with inbound and outbound flights to Shijiazhuang have been cancelled. Sales of train tickets to Beijing was also suspended on Wednesday. Ten highways connecting Shijiazhuang and Beijing imposed traffic restrictions, where traffic police urged vehicles to return where they came from.
Beijing is aiming to vaccinate 50 million people before the Chinese New Year holiday in February. Approximately hundreds of millions of people travel across the country during this period each year. However, travel plans have been disrupted due to the coronavirus outbreak since 2020.
With more than three million people receiving vaccinations since 15 Dec 2020, let’s hope these sporadic outbreaks will not be the beginning of yet another lockdown in China. It certainly wouldn’t be the best way to usher in the Lunar New Year!
