Ahead of spring festival, China battles Omicron variant surge in cities

As China kicks off the Winter Olympics on Friday, state-run Global Times reported that the Omicron variant has spread to more cities after a resurgence in Hangzhou.

Chinese officials are concerned over the spread of the virus to new areas ahead of the Spring Festival as Hangzhou detected 30 new domestically transmitted Omicron variant cases.

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The virus has now spread to Anshun in Southwest China's Guizhou, the Chinese daily said adding that Huanggang in central China's Hubei has also been affected as officials battle against Omicron flare-ups.

The Chinese newspaper quoting experts reported that the latest outbreak occurred after migrant workers returned home for the spring festival with several put on "collective quarantine".

The authorities have put new measures in place including seven days of "collective quarantine" and seven days of home quarantine while also ordering nucleic acid tests.

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China has been following the "zero Covid" policy, however, it has witnessed a surge in coronavirus since September last year with the Delta variant spreading rapidly. However, in recent weeks the Omicron variant has increasingly worried health officials.

As the Winter Olympics begins in Beijing, at least 21 new coronavirus COVID-19 infections were detected among Winter Olympic personnel. Winter Olympics officials said an Australian athlete was isolated with every official being repeatedly tested.

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China had put large population in several cities under lockdown after the Delta variant began spreading last year. The health officials have also been conducting mass testing in areas witnessing with local COVID-19 flareups while closing down neighbourhoods.

(With inputs from Agencies)