China’s success in containing the COVID-19 virus seems to be threatened as the Delta variant of the virus is causing a deadly resurgence in cases. At least 206 of the new cases nationwide seems to have stemmed from the cluster in Nanjing.
On Friday, authorities were forced to seal off Nanjing the capital city of Jiangsu Province. The Delta variant reportedly entered the city through its airport. After nine cleaners at Nanjing Lukou International Airport tested positive on July 20, the city reported 184 local coronavirus cases Friday. All of the city’s 9.2 million people have been tested for the virus twice.
In Changping district in Beijing, where two locally transmitted cases were found, 41,000 people in housing communities were placed under lockdown on Thursday.
So far the delta variant has been detected in five provinces and nine cities. Nanjing’s airport officials are being blamed for ‘poor supervision and unprofessional management’ by China’s disciplinary watchdog. The airport authorities are also being blamed for not separating cleaning staff who work on domestic flights and those who work on international flights.
At least 18 cases were traced in the Zhangjiajie in Hunan province. The southwestern province of Sichuan reported three new cases on Thursday.
