China reports more COVID-19 cases while some cities kick off new tests

STR / AFP

China reported more COVID-19 cases as it entered the third week of its current outbreak on Monday, while some cities added rounds of mass testing in the effort to stamp out locally-transmitted infections.

The highly infectious Delta variant has been detected in more than a dozen cities since July 20, and officials have asked local government authorities to rigorously track infections and close loopholes in control efforts.

"A laxity of mind should be firmly overcome," the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement on Sunday that called for the outbreak to be curbed.

Analysts see the Delta variant as the biggest test of China's zero-COVID strategy since last year's initial outbreak, but expect authorities will quash it before it gets out of control, even if at some economic cost.

Sunday's 125 new confirmed infections on the mainland included 94 locally transmitted cases, up from the previous day's figure of 96, with 81 locally transmitted, while the rest were imported from abroad, the NHC said on Monday.

Most of Sunday's local patients were in the central city of Zhengzhou and the eastern city of Yangzhou, government figures showed.

Yangzhou has started a fifth round of mass tests, city authorities said on Monday, when Zhengzhou is expected to wrap up sample collection for its third round of citywide tests.

The eastern city of Nanjing, hit hard in the outbreak that began late in July, though it reported no more than five daily local cases since Aug 2, has also started a third round of targeted testing in some areas, after three rounds citywide.

The number of new asymptomatic infections was 39, up from 30 a day earlier. China does not classify them as confirmed cases.

China's tally of infections stands at 93,826 since the outbreak began, while deaths stayed at 4,636.

More from International

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • Nights on Dubai Eye 103.8

    11:00pm - 6:00am

    Dubai Eye complements the conversation with the music you love from the eighties, nineties and newer.

  • The Business Breakfast

    6:00am - 10:00am

    The Business Breakfast is the day’s must listen for the UAE’s business leaders, and those who aspire to be.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Flying Taxis

    It sounds like an episode of The Jetsons, but the sight of flying taxis whizzing around our cities could be much closer than you think.

  • Tough penalties for deliberate tax evasion

    The UAE has said that tougher penalties will come into force from 1st August for not keeping proper corporate tax records.