COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Guangzhou

Guangzhou, Guangdong province, is facing growing pressure to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. The number of confirmed cases continued to rise on Monday, the city's health commission said in a statement on Tuesday.

To fight the pandemic, classes at universities, high schools, primary schools and kindergartens remain closed in the city's Haizhu and Baiyun districts — the areas hardest hit by the virus — the statement said.

Meanwhile major restaurants in Haizhu and Yuexiu districts are required to offer takeout services only, the statement said. Residents in high- and medium-risk areas in the city have been ordered to be tested at least twice in three days, it said.

Guangzhou has now identified 89 medium- and high-risk areas, including 64 in Huadu district and 25 in Baiyun district, the statement said.

The southern metropolis reported a total of 22 local infections, plus another 43 local asymptomatic carriers, on Monday.

The city, which has a population of about 18 million, reported 16 locally-transmitted confirmed cases and 53 asymptomatic carriers on Sunday.

In all of Guangdong province, 31 COVID-19 patients and 62 asymptomatic carriers were identified on Monday.

The province is China's most populous, with a population of more than 126 million.