New Traveler Cluster COVID-19 Outbreak: China Cancels Flights, Schools Are Closed Again

Illustration of COVID-19 in China. (Wikimedia Commons/Walter Grassroot)

JAKARTA - Authorities in China canceled hundreds of flights, closed schools and ramped up mass testing on Thursday as authorities struggle to contain a new outbreak of COVID-19 caused by a group of tourists.

Beijing has maintained a relentless zero-COVID approach with strict border closures and targeted lockdowns, as other countries tentatively try to ease restrictions.

The domestic outbreak has been largely eliminated, but China has recorded five straight days of new cases across much of the north and northwest, prompting authorities to step up coronavirus controls.

The most recent outbreak was linked to an elderly couple who were in a group of several tourists. They started in Shanghai before flying to Xi'an, Gansu Province, and Inner Mongolia, citing CNA from AFP on October 21.

Dozens of cases have since been linked to their travels, with close contacts in at least five provinces and territories, including the capital Beijing.

In response, the local government launched mass testing and closed scenic and tourist sites, schools, and entertainment venues in the affected areas also imposed a lockdown of targeted housing complexes.

Several areas including Lanzhou, a city of about 4 million people in northwest China, have told residents not to leave unless necessary. Those who must leave must show a negative COVID-19 test.

Meanwhile, airports in the affected region have canceled hundreds of flights, according to data from flight tracker VariFlight. About 60 percent of flights to the two main airports in Xi'an and Lanzhou have been canceled.

In a notice published Monday, Erenhot in Inner Mongolia said to travel in and out of the city was prohibited, residents should not leave their housing complexes.

And on Wednesday, state-owned tabloid Global Times warned of a new virus case in Inner Mongolia likely to affect coal imports from Mongolia due to supply chain disruptions.

To note, China's National Health Commission announced that there were 13 new domestic cases of COVID-19 reported on Thursday.