China panic as ‘serious’ Covid outbreak declared – emergency measures introduced

China would ‘swallow up Taiwan if they could’ says Wang Ting-Yu

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The outbreak has hit at least 14 of China’s provinces and millions have been tested in the past week. Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), told a press conference Saturday that the situation is “serious and complex” and “is still developing rapidly”. China announced 59 locally transmitted virus cases Saturday — the highest since mid-September—including two cases in Beijing linked to a tourist group infected in the north of the country.

That was followed by another 48 cases on Sunday.

Though the number is low in comparison to other countries, but Beijing is pushing to contain the virus ahead of the Winter Olympics.

Beijing has reintroduced new measure to curb the effects, including the closing of all cinemas;.

The new centre of the outbreak is 650 kilometres from Beijing, in the city of Erenhot, on the border with Mongolia.

Some six million Chinese people in cities where the virus has been detected are now under travel restrictions.

Travel in and out of the city is being restricted and entry into numerous other regions.

is now conditional on a negative test result—particularly for those coming from affected areas.

Friday saw around half of flights leaving Beijing’s capital cancelled, with authorities urging people not to leave the city unless absolutely necessary.

Heihe, a small northeastern city of 1.3 million people, reported 26 local cases for October 29, a sharp increase from nine on October 28 and just one on October 27.

Wu Liangyou, another NHC official, said: “The outbreak has exposed the laxity of mind among some local authorities.”

It comes after a Chinese town made a rare plea to Xi Jinping to end coronavirus restrictions as it faces economic turmoil from the disruptions.

Dai Rongli, the former vice mayor of Ruili, in the province of Yunnan, penned a letter to the Chinese leader.

The town has reportedly faced some of the toughest curbs in the country under Beijing’s zero-tolerance policy.

China’s border towns, faced with a higher risk of infection from overseas and many equipped with relatively few resources, have felt a greater impact.

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He wrote on his WeChat (social media) account: “Since this small town has assumed the responsibility for the epidemic prevention and control of the whole country, our motherland should extend a strong hand to protect this tortured child.”

While not in full lockdown, Ruili does not encourage its more than 200,000 residents to leave town.

And those who insist have to be quarantined for at least seven days before departure.

Mr Dai added: “The long-term closure of the town has formed a deadlock in the town’s development.

“It’s necessary to resume production and trade.”

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