China’s COVID-19 outbreak is shifting to its south coast, with a flareup in Shenzhen triggering mass testing and a lockdown of some neighborhoods, while Macau — an hour’s drive away — is racing to stop its first outbreak in eight months.
The new cases come as China’s two most important cities, Beijing and Shanghai, look to be subduing the virus after months of strict curbs and repeated testing.
Shanghai yesterday reported nine local cases, while Beijing reported five.
Nationwide, China yesterday reported 34 new COVID-19 infections.
Yet new clusters continue to emerge, prompting action from local officials. Borders are increasingly under pressure, with Dandong — just across the river from North Korea — reporting six local cases.
In the city of Jilin to the northeast, there were 10 new infections among cold-chain workers.
In Shenzhen, which hosts companies such as iPhone maker Hon Hai Precision Industry Co and Huawei Technologies Co, isolation orders were imposed for several residential compounds in the Futian and Luohu districts that border Hong Kong after each reported an asymptomatic infection.
The restrictions have not affected the companies’ operations, representatives said. The city recorded two local cases yesterday.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s outbreak continues to grow. It posted 1,186 new local infections on Monday.
Macau shut schools and non-essential businesses after the government found 36 infections as of Monday afternoon, although casinos remain open.
The territory reported another 47 infections yesterday.
Neighboring Zhuhai on mainland China locked down the area of its border crossing with Macau.
The shifting focus of China’s COVID-19 concerns underscores the Sisyphean task of stamping out a pathogen so infectious that the rest of the world has adjusted to living with it.
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