Neighboring province sees an uptick in COVID-19 cases
Residents line for nucleic acid test in Shaoxing of Zhejiang Province on Sunday.
Three cities in east China's Zhejiang Province have seen an intense resurgence of COVID-19 cases recently.
Hangzhou confirmed one new coronavirus case at 9am on Monday. The city has reported 18 cases since December 7.
Ningbo has had 44 confirmed cases since December 6. Previous asymptomatic infections have all been confirmed.
Shaoxing reported 107 locally transmitted cases by 9pm on Sunday, including one asymptomatic infection.
Three makeshift labs for sample testing went into use in Shaoxing on Monday. The city's health authorities requested that behaviors violating disciplinary guidelines or those neglecting their duties during this pandemic control period be seriously punished.
Whole-genome sequencing and analysis found that cases in the three cities were caused by the Delta strain's sub-lineage "AY.4." It is more transmissible and carries a higher viral load than the original novel coronavirus, said an official with the Zhejiang provincial center for disease control and prevention.
The provincial health commission ordered that indoor public spaces including mahjong and board game rooms, pubs, KTV and swimming pools be temporarily shut down. People hosting banquets of over five tables of people should report to the neighborhood committee. Nursing homes, welfare institutions and mental health facilities will be under closed-loop management.
Several places across China have released notices urging people to stay where they are during the upcoming holidays as New Year's Day and the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on February 1, draw near.
The economic development area in Zhangjiakou in north China's Hebei Province on December 9 called upon all staff from government offices, public institutions and state-owned companies to stay put during the Lunar New Year holiday.
The central government didn't release any official guideline on how to celebrate the country's most important festival, neither did big cities like Shanghai and Beijing.
The weeklong Spring Festival holiday begins on January 31, the Lunar New Year's Eve, and the 40-day travel rush, or simply chunyun, starts from January 17.
