Delta variant spreads in China, reaches Beijing: most infected have been vaccinated

The latest covid-19 epidemic, although limited, has spread to several provinces in China, including Beijing, authorities said on Thursday., facing the Delta variant.

China, where covid-19 was first detected at the end of 2019, practically stopped the epidemic in spring 2020. Corn The latest outbreak, located in Nanjing (east) on July 20, is the one that has spread the most geographically in the country for months.

It was first detected in nine employees of the airport of the former “southern capital” but infections have been recorded in 171 people in Jiangsu province, bordering on Shanghai, and in at least four other provinces.

Most of those infected had been vaccinatedAccording to the Jiangsu authorities, who Raises concerns about the effectiveness of Chinese vaccines against the Delta strain.

The most populous country in the world administered 1.6 billion doses (only made in China) but it is not known how many inhabitants are vaccinated with all the necessary doses. the the goal is to vaccinate 65% of the population (1,400 million inhabitants) before the end of the year.

The country has also recorded infections with across its porous border with Burma.

In Jiangsu, authorities have confined hundreds of thousands of residents, he claimed Lu Jing, a senior official of the provincial epidemiological services.

“In Nanjing, internet cafes, gymnasiums, cinemas, karaoke bars and even libraries have been closed.”he told reporters.

Already the metropolis twice tested its more than 9.2 million inhabitants and launched a third detection campaign on Wednesday, city council said, adding that the highly contagious Delta variant poses challenges to containment efforts.

The densely populated province of Sichuan (southwest) reported three cases Thursday Yes Beijing from behind, the first for six months in the capital.

Beijing patients, a married couple, living on the outskirts of the Chinese capital, tested positive after return from a tourist spot in central Chinasaid a health official.

Since then they have identified more than 650 close contacts and quarantines have been imposed.

“Right now, it’s summer vacation, a peak period for tourism, travel and socializing. There should be no slack in the prevention and control of the epidemic “he told reporters Pang xinghuo, deputy director of the city’s disease control center.

In the center of the capital the Legendale hotel was closed after the discovery of an imported case. Thursday, employees in protective gear disinfect the surroundings of the establishment using sprayers.

(With information from AFP)

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