Guangzhou gets to grips with latest spate of COVID-19 cases

Authorities say infections stem from multiple import channels

Despite the majority of the latest COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, coming from urban villages currently under closed-loop management, there are still infections coming from flows of people and cross infections in the area, according to a local health official.

"Only by reducing the flow of people and strengthening personal protection can the spread of the virus be stopped," Zhang Yi, spokeswoman of the Guangzhou Health Commission, told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.

The city reported 190 new locally transmitted confirmed cases and 289 asymptomatic carriers on Monday, most of which were found in quarantine and high- and medium-risk areas, according to the health authority.

Of the infections, only six were found during nucleic acid tests in communities, according to Zhang.

In the hardest-hit district of Haizhu, 341 new cases and asymptomatic carriers were reported on Monday, most of which were concentrated in the subdistricts of Chigang and Fengyang, showing that there had been a large flow of people in the high- and medium-risk areas before closed management measures were introduced, according to the local health authorities.

The number of new infections in the high-risk areas of Jianghai and Guitian subdistricts has decreased significantly, with many communities in closed management reporting no new cases for consecutive days.

In an early news conference on Monday, Zhang said the recent spate of COVID-19 cases featured multiple import channels and a complicated flow of people infected with the virus.

"The import channels of the virus in the latest round were diverse, coming in through several transport routes including by air, sea, rail and road," she said.

People visiting and returning to the city who tested positive were usually freight drivers, tourists, students and those looking for medical treatment in Guangzhou, according to Zhang.

"People infected with the virus had very complicated activities in urban villages, cafes, bars, hospitals, schools, supermarkets and other indoor places, which had increased difficulties for us to control the spread of the virus," she said.

Chen Xueming, spokesman for the city's education commission, said schools with dense populations and frequent indoor activities are prone to infections. A recent analysis showed some young students were infected by family members or fellow students.

In addition to the flow of people in closed-loop management areas, the multiple subvariants of COVID-19 in the latest round are superimposed and spreading rapidly, which has brought about great difficulties in screening and handling, according to Zhang.

"In prevention and control, residents should reduce gatherings and not go out unnecessarily," she said.

At the provincial level, Guangdong reported 239 new locally transmitted confirmed cases and 458 asymptomatic carriers on Monday, according to the provincial health authorities.

Meizhou, in Guangdong's eastern mountainous area, reported 16 new confirmed cases with mild symptoms and 154 asymptomatic carriers on Monday, all of which were found in the city's Fengshun county.