Inbound trains to capital Beijing on 23 routes suspended, China issue COVID-19 advisory for domestic travel
China has started vaccination campaign for teenagers aged 12-17 years in a bid to curb fresh COVID-19 outbreak that has spread to at least 18 provinces.
As the number of coronavirus cases in China continues to rise, Chinese medical researchers are stepping up their work to develop a booster shot to help contain the more dangerous strain. State media reported that all 31 provinces in mainland China have issued notices advising people not to travel domestically.
Some have targeted only medium- and high-risk regions, while others asked people to avoid all interprovincial travel. Capital Beijing has temporarily stopped the sale of train tickets on 23 routes inbound into Beijing. Also, 13 trains originating in Beijing have also stopped services. The state-owned China National Railway Group also offered free refunds to ticket holders on Tuesday.
With China’s zero-tolerance approach to the virus, domestic tourism again looks to bear the brunt of this latest outbreak, just as it did early last year when the country implemented widespread lockdowns after the coronavirus started to spread in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, according to analysts. In response to the travel restrictions issued by local governments, many airports across China reported a drop in outbound flights on Tuesday, according to media reports citing a data-analytics company specialising in the Chinese travel industry. State media reported that the Civil Aviation Administration of China has suspended 302 international passenger flights from June 8, 2020, to August 2 this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In total, China has reduced 621 inbound flights.
Meanwhile, as per media reports, a large number of sporting events in China have either been cancelled or suspended. The Chinese Athletic Association, the national governing body for the sport of athletics has postponed two athletic events set to be held in the northeastern province of Liaoning this month. A marathon scheduled for Sunday in the southwestern province of Guizhou has also been postponed and the Chinese Basketball Association said it would suspend all National Basketball League games from Tuesday.
National Health Commission said, China reported 61 newly confirmed local cases on Monday. The new outbreak, first detected on July 20 at an airport in Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province has since spread to at least 18 provinces and has infected over 350 people since July 20. In Nanjing, a city with more than 9.3 million people, a total of 220 local cases have been reported. Neighboring Yangzhou has reported 94 cases since July 20. All schools and tutorial institutions in Wuhan have been asked to suspend offline classes and strengthen campus health monitoring, meanwhile speeding up the vaccination for teachers and students.
Zhangjiajie, a popular tourist destination in central Hunan province, has become a hotspot in the current outbreak, with more than a dozen cases traced to the city. In response, local authorities ordered all tourist attractions to close from last Friday. It has also ordered all residents, tourists not to leave the city. Experts say the current outbreak of the Delta variant flags further risks for China’s economy’s growth, which is already expected to slow in the second half of the year.