HONG KONG: Chinese health authorities have stepped up efforts to contain the resurgence of coronavirus cases as the country faces its worst savings since the pandemic erupted there early last year.
Cities in the northern provinces of Hebei, Heilongjiang and Jilin have built temporary quarantine facilities, imposed closure measures on millions of residents, and launched test runs across the city.
Meanwhile, armies of volunteers dressed in protective equipment have scattered through the affected areas and disinfected the empty streets and shops, according to state media reports.
On Wednesday, health officials in Beijing said they had discovered the most contagious variant of the UK virus in samples from two patients who tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday.
Since the current wave of cases emerged in mid-December, health authorities have found about 1,500 symptomatic cases of Covid-19, most of which were local infections. China counts the symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, but only includes the former in its official count.