The western province of Gansu is one of the hardest hit by China’s summer Covid eruption. Pictured here is a Red Cross volunteer spraying disinfectant in Dingxi, Gansu.
Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty pictures
BEIJING – China’s daily number of Covid cases has risen to hundreds as the summer holidays begin.
Many of the cases are affected in central China rather than economic centers such as Beijing and Shanghai. The number of infections in Guangdong manufacturing center has increased without major business restrictions yet.
However, sudden business closures in a tourist area in the southwestern region of Guangxi left more than 2,000 visitors stranded as of Sunday, state media reported. The report said local authorities would help tourists depart.
On Monday, the city of Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province ordered bars, gyms and indoor eateries to close temporarily for a week. While the city – known for its spicy cuisine – did not ban people from eating in restaurants, authorities said they encouraged people to order delivery or takeaway instead.
The Chinese mainland reported 108 new Covid cases with symptoms and 827 without symptoms for Tuesday. The western provinces of Gansu and Guangxi accounted for the majority, but at least a handful of cases were reported in 12 other provincial-level regions.
The increase to hundreds of cases a day has only happened within the last week and a half. The mainland reported no new deaths from Covid during that period.
From the end of June, the central government began to ease the quarantine measures. The capital Beijing has eased restrictions on access to the city from other parts of China.
However, domestic visitors to the capital or various parts of China may still need to be quarantined for a week upon arrival depending on the presence of Covid in their travel history.
During the first half of the year, domestic tourism travel fell by 22.2% from a year ago to 1.46 billion, according to the Ministry of Tourism. A quarterly breakdown was not available, although the report said the second quarter was heavily impacted by Covid.
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