BEIJING (AP) — China is tightening travel restrictions in the Xinjiang capital amid a COVID-19 outbreak in the northwestern city.
People arriving in Urumqi from regions considered to have high infection risk must undergo a two-week quarantine. Others arriving from less risky areas most show proof of good health. Locals “in principle” must stay in the city or show proof of health to be allowed to leave.
Almost all regions in China have been downgraded to low and medium risk, except for the northeastern port city of Dalian, which is high risk due to an ongoing but smaller outbreak.
Since mid-July, the Xinjiang outbreak centered in Urumqi has seen more than 600 cases of illness, including 112 new ones reported on Friday.
Another 11 cases new were reported Friday in Liaoning, bringing the northeastern province’s total to around 75 since June 22, when a seafood worker in Dalian tested positive. As with Urumqi, widespread testing has been conducted in Dalian, with more than 4 million samples taken by midweek.
No new deaths have been reported, leaving China’s total at 4,634 among 84,292 cases. A total of 684 people are in treatment and 248 being monitored for having shown signs of COVID-19 or for testing positive but showing no symptoms.
Hong Kong continued see a third wave of infections, with almost 150 new cases reported Friday to bring the semi-autonomous Chinese city’s total to 3,151 with 25 deaths. Authorities on Thursday reversed a ban on indoor dining, along restaurants to operate under limited hours and with limited capacity.
Businesses such as bars, karaoke bars and amusement parks remain temporarily closed, and public gatherings are restricted to two people.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
— Victoria state’s leader warned that tougher pandemic restrictions could be looming after Australia’s coronavirus hot spot reported its second-highest daily COVID-19 count. State capital Melbourne and a neighboring semi-rural district are over halfway through a six-week lockdown. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the lockdown was being analyzed to determine the next steps. “I have no announcements to make about next steps, but it is important that all of us acknowledge that these numbers are still far too high,” Andrews said. Victoria on Friday reported 627 new COVID-19 infections and eight deaths after a record 723 new cases were reported on Thursday.
— South Korea’s 36 newest cases were mostly tied to international arrivals. The figures announced by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday brought the national caseload to 14,305, including 301 deaths. The KCDC said 22 of the new cases were linked to people arriving from abroad. The country in recent weeks reported dozens of infections among South Korean construction workers airlifted from virus-ravaged Iraq and crew members of Russia-flagged cargo ships docked in South Korean ports.
