(Reuters) – China reported its biggest daily jump in new COVID-19 cases in more than two months as a city on the border with Myanmar in southwestern Yunnan province was responsible for all new local cases.
The Ruili local government quarantined residents in the urban area for their homes, launched a large-scale test drive, and began preventing people from leaving and entering the city since last week after reporting COVID-19 patients.
The city was responsible for all 15 new local cases reported on April 4. The total number of new COVID-19 infections, including infections imported from abroad, was 32, the highest number since January 31.
Genetic analysis of the cases discovered in Ruili suggests the new local infections are due to viruses imported from Myanmar, state media reported. Of the new patients reported in the city, 11 were identified as citizens of Myanmar.
Ruili is a major transit point for Yunnan Province, which has struggled to control the rugged 4,000 km (2,500 miles) border with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam for illegal immigration amid a wave of unauthorized crossings last year by people seeking refuge search for the pandemic. .
Local authorities have also started a vaccination campaign in Ruili in an effort to contain COVID-19 and build immunity to herds in the city.
The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, was 18, which corresponds to the total from the day before.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 90,305, while the death toll remains unchanged at 4,636.
Reporting by Se Young Lee in Washington; Adaptation by Himani Sarkar and Michael Perry