China’s virus situation 'uncertain' as Delta strain spreads

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - The COVID-19 situation in China has become "uncertain" as several cities report outbreaks, prompting authorities to impose nationwide travel restrictions.

“There have been multiple outbreaks in different parts of the country, and the development trend remains uncertain,” China’s Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said on Wednesday, daily South China Morning Post reported.

The National Health Commission said 85 more infections were recorded across the country over the past day, with 62 of them being locally transmitted.

The new cases pushed China's overall tally to 93,374, including 4,636 deaths.

China had claimed to have suppressed the virus last year but has faced a fresh challenge after infections were reported among staff at an airport in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, last month.

An outbreak has continued in Nanjing since July, with at least 40 new cases reported in the eastern Chinese city over the past 24 hours.

The spread of the highly contagious Delta variant has prompted authorities to impose travel curbs in multiple provinces, including the capital Beijing, restricting inter-provincial and inter-city movement.

“The (COVID-19) situation remains fluid,” Sun said, adding that containment should be “the top priority” of local governments.

Authorities have also started mass testing in Wuhan, where the world's first COVID-19 cases were reported in December 2019, and the flood-hit Zhengzhou city, capital of the central Henan province.