[D66] [JD: 101] China locks down part of Guangzhou amid outbreak of Indian Covid variant | guardian

[R.O.]

  China locks down part of Guangzhou amid outbreak of Indian Covid variant

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled, and authorities ordered
residents of some streets in the Liwan neighbourhood of Guangzhou city
to isolate

A man is tested for coronavirus in the Liwan district in Guangzhou.

A man is tested for coronavirus in the Liwan district in Guangzhou.
Photograph: AP

Helen Davidson <https://www.theguardian.com/profile/helen-davidson> in
Taipei

@heldavidson <https://www.twitter.com/heldavidson>

Tue 1 Jun 2021 06.45 BST

Last modified on Tue 1 Jun 2021 23.22 BST

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Chinese authorities in Guangdong province have cancelled flights and
locked down communities in response to what is believed to be the first
community outbreak of the Indian variant in China
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/china>.

Guangdong province had been reporting daily single figures of local
cases, including asymptomatic cases, for more than a week, until the
case load suddenly jumped to 23 on Monday, including three asymptomatic
cases, and 11 on Tuesday. Most of Guandong’s cases are in the city of
Guangzhou, with some in nearby Foshan, which has a population of 7.2
million.

Authorities said all cases were found to be the strain commonly known as
the Indian variant
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/19/what-do-we-know-about-the-indian-coronavirus-variant>
of the virus, now renamed by the WHO
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/01/covid-19-variants-to-be-given-greek-alphabet-names-to-avoid-stigma>
as the “Delta” variant.

US must share intelligence on Covid origins, WHO-affiliated expert says
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/30/us-must-share-intelligence-covid-origins-expert-says>

Read more
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/30/us-must-share-intelligence-covid-origins-expert-says>

“In this race against the virus, we must run a bit ahead and run faster
than before in order to block the spread of the virus and cut off the
infection chain in time,” said Huang Guanglie, director of the Guangzhou
municipal health commission.

Guangzhou deputy mayor, Li Ming, said the strain had a short incubation
period, a high viral load, and spread quickly. However she said that the
trajectory was “under control”.

In response hundreds of flights at the busy Guangdong Baiyun
international airport have been cancelled, and authorities ordered some
streets in the Liwan neighbourhood of Guangzhou city**to isolate at
home, with only one person per household allowed out to buy daily
necessities.

China forces pace of vaccinations with persuasion … and some cash
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/30/china-forces-pace-of-vaccinations-with-persuasion-and-some-cash>

Read more
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/30/china-forces-pace-of-vaccinations-with-persuasion-and-some-cash>

On Sunday all 15.3 million Guangzhou residents were barred from leaving
via bus, air or train without a green code on the health management app
and a negative Covid test taken in the preceding 72 hours.

Restaurants have shifted to takeaway only and entertainment venues
closed, while senior high school classes have been moved online, and
vaccinations have been temporarily suspended. Authorities also placed
reduced limits on gatherings at public venues, and visiting rights to
care and medical institutions.

A separate outbreak also prompted a temporary suspension of imports at
Yantian port in Shenzhen last week, one of the world’s busiest export
hubs. On Friday authorities launched compulsory Covid-testing for all
Yantian residents after cases were detected in the community and among
port staff.

After the Covid-19 pandemic began in the Chinese city of Wuhan,
prompting a long and strict lockdown which would later be emulated
around the world, authorities have largely contained the virus. Sporadic
outbreaks of varying sizes
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/31/global-report-china-records-most-daily-cases-since-march-poverty-fears-in-south-east-asia>have
prompted localised lockdowns and transport suspensions, most recently in
Anhui, which also prompted a huge increase in people seeking to get
vaccinated.

An ambitious campaign to have 40% of the population voluntarily
vaccinated
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/30/china-forces-pace-of-vaccinations-with-persuasion-and-some-cash>
by the end of this month has so far delivered almost 640m doses,
according to state media, including at least one dose to more than 86%
of the adult population in capital Beijing.

Topics

  * China <https://www.theguardian.com/world/china>

  * Coronavirus <https://www.theguardian.com/world/coronavirus-outbreak>
  * Asia Pacific <https://www.theguardian.com/world/asia-pacific>
  * Infectious diseases
    <https://www.theguardian.com/science/infectiousdiseases>
  * news <https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news>

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