China 'imposes coronavirus travel restrictions' in Xinjiang's capital city

China has enforced what officials called ‘the strictest’ anti-virus measures on the capital city of Xinjiang as the region braces for a looming COVID-19 outbreak.

Urumqi, a city of 3.5million in China’s western Uighur region, recorded five new confirmed cases today after registering its first COVID-19 infection in five months on Thursday.

Fears of a new virus crisis have arisen as the government has shut down the city’s only subway line and the shuttle bus services to the airport. Around 200 flights in and out of the city’s international airport have reportedly been cancelled today.  

Urumqi, a city of 3.5million in China's western Uighur region, recorded five new confirmed cases today after registering its first COVID-19 infection in five months on Thursday. The file picture taken on June 21 shows a group of Uighur women working at a garment factory in a resettlement area in Yecheng county of China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region

Urumqi, a city of 3.5million in China’s western Uighur region, recorded five new confirmed cases today after registering its first COVID-19 infection in five months on Thursday. The file picture taken on June 21 shows a group of Uighur women working at a garment factory in a resettlement area in Yecheng county of China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region

Urumqi, a city of 3.5million in western China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, recorded five new confirmed cases today after registering its first COVID-19 infection in five months on Thursday

Urumqi, a city of 3.5million in western China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region, recorded five new confirmed cases today after registering its first COVID-19 infection in five months on Thursday

The news comes after Hong Kong is battling what officials called ‘a third wave’ of infections that has topped previous surges of cases.  

In Urumqi, all air passengers must show a negative result from their nucleic acid testing – which detects the existence of the virus – carried out in the past seven days before being allowed to board flights to and from the city, according to multiple Chinese airlines. 

Beijing has also been hit by a local coronavirus outbreak linked to a seafood market since mid-June, despite the majority of the nation appears to have contained the crisis. 

Xinjiang had reported a total of 76 COVID-19 cases since January. The autonomous region had stopped registering new cases from February 18.

After reporting zero infections for five months, the Urumqi officials recorded a new confirmed case on Thursday, a 24-year-old female retail worker, who developed a sore throat last Friday and was sent to hospital via ambulance.

She was diagnosed as a confirmed COVID-19 infection on Wednesday after testing positive for the virus, said the local health authorities yesterday.

Officials also confirmed three asymptomatic patients who had close contacts with the woman. 

China has enforced what the provincial officials called ‘the strictest’ anti-virus measures on the capital city of Xinjiang as the region braces for a looming COVID-19 outbreak. The file picture taken on June 17 shows workers making a type of traditional baked pancake at a poverty alleviation workshop in Keping County, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China

China has enforced what the provincial officials called ‘the strictest’ anti-virus measures on the capital city of Xinjiang as the region braces for a looming COVID-19 outbreak. The file picture taken on June 17 shows workers making a type of traditional baked pancake at a poverty alleviation workshop in Keping County, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China

After reporting zero infections for five months, the Urumqi officials recorded a new confirmed case on Thursday, a 24-year-old female retail worker, who developed a sore throat last Friday. The file picture shows an aerial view of the western Chinese city Urumqi in Xinjiang region

After reporting zero infections for five months, the Urumqi officials recorded a new confirmed case on Thursday, a 24-year-old female retail worker, who developed a sore throat last Friday. The file picture shows an aerial view of the western Chinese city Urumqi in Xinjiang region

Following the first confirmed infection, the provincial officials have imposed ‘the strictest’ measures to battle the looming new COVID-19 outbreak.

Xinjiang’s Communist Party committee said in a meeting on Thursday: ‘[We] must resolutely cut off the channel of transmission, focus on key people and key areas, take the most determined, decisive, and strictest measures to ensure that all investigations and inspections are conducted to resolutely curb the spread of the epidemic.’

The officials also pledged to ‘strictly implement prevention and control measures’ by tightening control of citizens travelling in and out of the region.

Areas with a dense population, as well as communities and neighbourhoods will be closely monitored. 

Following the first confirmed infection, the provincial officials has vowed to launch 'the strictest' measures to battle the looming new COVID-19 outbreak. The file picture taken on June 18 shows workers at a garment factory in Aketao county of the Uighur region Xinjiang

Following the first confirmed infection, the provincial officials has vowed to launch ‘the strictest’ measures to battle the looming new COVID-19 outbreak. The file picture taken on June 18 shows workers at a garment factory in Aketao county of the Uighur region Xinjiang

The city’s transport authorities announced to shut down the subway in a statement yesterday, said Chinese media. But the post appears to have been removed from its social media page. The file picture taken on June 17 shows a worker carrying nang, a traditional bread, at a poverty alleviation workshop in Keping county, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in western China

The city’s transport authorities announced to shut down the subway in a statement yesterday, said Chinese media. But the post appears to have been removed from its social media page. The file picture taken on June 17 shows a worker carrying nang, a traditional bread, at a poverty alleviation workshop in Keping county, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in western China

‘[We must] strengthen the control of crowded places, the grid management of communities and villages, and carry out stringent screening in the fever clinics of hospitals,’ the government said.

The city’s transport authorities announced to shut down the subway in a statement yesterday, said Chinese media. But the post appears to have been removed from its social media page. 

The government also activated an emergency mechanism to provide sufficient amount of produce supply in the city’s food markets, reported Chinese media. 

The transport group of Changji, a city bordering Urumqi, has reportedly suspended all routes and ordered its staff to undergo nucleic acid testing.

On Friday, the government reported another five new confirmed infections, bringing the total active cases to six. Eight new asymptomatic cases were also registered.

A total of 135 people are under quarantine for medical observation, the authorities say.

It remains unclear if all the patients are linked to the same infection cluster or source.

Hong Kong’s ‘third wave’ surpasses earlier rounds 

Hong Kong has been battling what officials called a ‘third wave’ of coronavirus infections, a resurgence of new cases that has topped previous rounds, according to Bloomberg.

The Asian financial hub has recorded 50 native infections on Friday, bringing the total of cases found in the new surge to over 350. 

The city saw its second wave of cases in late March when the officials registered 353 infections in about a week.

The finance hub, one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus, has had impressive success in tackling the disease with just over 1,500 infections. The file picture taken on July 10 shows pedestrians wearing face masks in Hong Kong

The finance hub, one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus, has had impressive success in tackling the disease with just over 1,500 infections. The file picture taken on July 10 shows pedestrians wearing face masks in Hong Kong

The Chinese-ruled region, one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus, had impressive success in tackling the disease with just over 1,500 infections. 

But a stronger round of infections has erupted Hong Kong over two weeks ago after a long stretch during which residents returned to work and normal life.

About a third of infections in the new crisis are of unknown origins, says Bloomberg, signalling that hidden chains of transmission are widespread.

As of Friday, Hong Kong has reported a total of 1,714 cases and ten deaths since January.The file picture taken on July 9 shows commuters travelling on a tram with a notice that refers to the outbreak

As of Friday, Hong Kong has reported a total of 1,714 cases and ten deaths since January, according to official figures. The file picture taken on July 9 shows commuters travelling on a tram with a notice that refers to the outbreak

As of Friday, Hong Kong has reported a total of 1,714 cases and ten deaths since January, according to official figures.

Hong Kong has re-imposed tough social distancing measures from Monday, shuttering many businesses and making face masks on public transport mandatory. 

It comes after Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable diseases branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a press briefing last week that the Asian financial hub entered its third wave of the coronavirus outbreak, according to South China Morning Post.  

source: dailymail.co.uk