Fresh COVID Outbreak In China; Flights Cancelled, Schools Closed

Bejing: Hundreds of flights were cancelled, schools closed and mass testing was ramped in China on Thursday following a new COVID outbreak linked to a group of tourists, The Straits Times reported.

New cases were reported in the country, mostly in the northern and north-western areas, for the last five days. And this outbreak is being linked to an elderly couple, who travelled to Xi’an, Gansu province and Inner Mongolia from Shanghai in a group of several tourists. They reportedly came in close contact with people in at least five provinces and regions, including the capital Beijing, the report said.

Scenic spots, tourist sites and entertainment venues in affected areas have also been shut and targeted lockdowns imposed on housing compounds, it added.