[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] COVID-19 is resurging across China, putting health authorities on high alert.
According to the National Health Commission of China on the 2nd, 1,839 new infections were reported nationwide the previous day. By region, there were 621 cases in Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region, 218 in Heilongjiang Province, 205 in Sichuan Province, 130 in Qinghai, 119 in Liaoning Province, 102 in Hainan, and 96 in Guangdong Province.
New infections, which had dropped to double digits in June, began to rise in July and have approached 2,000 daily this month.
COVID-19 is occurring simultaneously across China. Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province in western China with a population of 21 million, an industrial hub, imposed a full city lockdown from 6 p.m. on the 1st until the 4th, banning all residents from going outside.
Chengdu health authorities revealed that there are over 20 transmission chains of COVID-19, making containment difficult, raising concerns that the city lockdown may last longer than expected.
Health authorities are focusing on preventing the virus from entering Beijing. Tianjin and Hebei Province, adjacent to Beijing, reported 33 and 36 new infections respectively on the 1st.
On Chinese social media, posts have appeared stating that train ticket sales from Tianjin and Shandong to Beijing have been suspended. There are also numerous posts from Beijing residents who have been placed under self-quarantine after visiting Tianjin.
Earlier, Zhuozhou in Hebei Province, with a population of 660,000 and many commuters to Beijing, imposed a full city lockdown at the end of last month. Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province with 11 million people, implemented measures equivalent to a lockdown, including suspension of public transportation and closure of commercial facilities.
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