Covid Outbreak : As China battles a coronavirus outbreak, flights have been cancelled and schools have been halted

On Thursday, Chinese authorities delayed hundreds of flights, shuttered schools, and increased mass testing to combat a fresh COVID-19 epidemic connected to a group of visitors.

Even as other nations cautiously lift restrictions, Beijing has maintained a persistent zero-Covid strategy with tight border closures and targeted lockdowns.

Domestic outbreaks have mostly been eradicated, but China’s coronavirus restrictions have been tightened after the sixth day of new cases, primarily in the north and northwest.

The most recent epidemic was traced back to an elderly couple who were part of a group of visitors. They began their journey in Shanghai, then flew to Xi’an, Gansu Province, and Inner Mongolia.

Since then, dozens of cases have been connected to their trip, including close ties in at least five provinces and regions, including Beijing.

Local governments have responded by conducting mass testing, closing scenic locations and tourist attractions, schools, and entertainment venues in impacted regions, and enforcing targeted lockdowns of housing compounds.

Residents in several areas, notably Lanzhou, a four-million-person metropolis in northern China, have been advised not to leave unless absolutely essential.

Those who need to depart must produce a Covid-19 test that is negative.

According to statistics from aviation tracker VariFlight, hundreds of flights have been canceled at airports in the impacted areas.

Around 60% of flights to and from Xi’an and Lanzhou’s major airports have been canceled.

Erenhot in Inner Mongolia issued a notice on Monday prohibiting people from leaving their housing compounds and prohibiting movement in and out of the city.

The state-owned tabloid Global Times warned on Wednesday that the new viral cases in Inner Mongolia were likely to have an impact on Mongolian coal imports due to supply chain delays.

According to China’s National Health Commission, 13 additional domestic cases were recorded on Thursday.