The latest - limited - Covid-19 outbreak is now spreading to several provinces in China, including Beijing, authorities said Thursday, July 29, faced with the spread of the Delta strain.
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China, where Covid-19 was first detected at the end of 2019, practically contained the epidemic in the spring of 2020. But the latest outbreak, spotted in Nanjing on July 20, is now the most widespread geographically in the country for months.
Initially observed with nine employees of the airport of the former "
southern capital
", the contagion has now affected 171 people in Jiangsu province, bordering Shanghai, and has spread to at least four other provinces.
The effectiveness of Chinese vaccines against the Delta in question
The majority of those infected had already been vaccinated, according to authorities in Jiangsu, raising concerns about the effectiveness of Chinese vaccines against the Delta strain.
The most populous country in the world has already administered 1.6 billion doses (only "
made in China
") but without specifying how many inhabitants were fully vaccinated.
The goal is to immunize 65% of the population (1.4 billion inhabitants) before the end of the year.
Read also: China denounces the "arrogance" of the WHO on its responsibility and the origin of Covid-19, Washington protests
Another contamination has hit the country via its porous border with Burma, threatening its "
zero tolerance
" policy towards the virus. In Jiangsu, authorities have placed hundreds of thousands of residents in lockdown, said Lu Jing, an official with the provincial epidemiological services. "
Internet cafes, sports halls, cinemas, karaoke bars and even libraries in Nanjing have been closed,
" he told reporters.
The metropolis has already tested twice its more than 9.2 million inhabitants and launched a third screening campaign on Wednesday, announced the town hall. The vast and densely populated province of Sichuan reported three cases Thursday while Beijing announced two cases, the first for six months in the capital. A Haussmann-style palace, the Legendale hotel, was also closed in central Beijing following the discovery of an imported case. On Thursday, employees in full suits were disinfecting the area around the establishment using sprayers.