Yunnan reports eight new COVID-19 cases

Yunnan province identified eight new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Thursday, including one Thai national, the provincial health commission said on Friday.

All the confirmed cases were found in the city of Ruili, which borders Myanmar, during the second round of citywide nucleic acid testing, the commission said.

As of Thursday, 87 confirmed and 44 asymptomatic cases, including imported cases, were either being treated at designated hospitals in the province or were under observation.

While residents in the city's urban districts are under home quarantine, over 200 delivery workers are working hard to ensure everyday deliveries.

The city has been coordinating with major food delivery platforms who work with big supermarkets in the city to deliver food and other necessities to communities, local media reports.

Yang Gan'en is one of the deliverymen. The 27-year-old has been so busy working that he hasn't seen his 2-year-old son for days.

"Every time I miss him, I make video calls to my wife," he said, adding that he normally finishes work at around 11 pm and sleeps in the dining hall, then wakes up and leaves home early before his family wakes up.

Every day before he starts working, he spends about 20 minutes checking his temperature, registering his health condition, disinfecting his delivery case and electric bike and putting on his face mask and protective gloves. On average, he makes 80 deliveries a day.

Chen Yong, a manager of a major food delivery platform in Ruili, said his employees have been struggling to cope with the heavier workload created by the recent outbreak.

"There are around 100 delivery workers on duty in my company, far fewer than usual, and orders are increasing every day. It is really hard," he said.

On Thursday, Ruili installed its new Party chief. Earlier that day, the former Party chief had been dismissed over dereliction of duty related to COVID-19 control and prevention efforts.

Zhai Yulong, 47, the new chief, said on Thursday that he, together with all officials in the city, will prioritize epidemic prevention and control and build a safe border barrier in the southwest of the country.