Covid 19 coronavirus: China will test 9 million after a new outbreak

Chinese health authorities will test the 9 million people in the eastern city of Qingdao for the coronavirus this week after nine hospital-related cases were found, the government announced on Monday.

The announcement snapped a two-month streak with no reported virus transmissions within China, although China has a practice of not reporting asymptomatic cases. The ruling Communist Party has lifted most restrictions on travel and business, but still monitors travelers and visitors to public buildings for signs of infection.

Authorities were investigating the source of the infections found in eight patients at the Qingdao Municipal Chest Hospital and in a family member, the National Health Commission said.

“The whole city will be tested within five days,” the NHC said on its social media account.

China, where the pandemic began in December, has reported 4,634 deaths and 85,578 cases, plus nine suspected cases that have yet to be confirmed.

The last reported virus transmissions within China were four patients found on August 15 in the northwestern city of Urumqi in the Xinjiang region. All the cases reported since then were in travelers from outside the continent.

The ruling party lifted measures in April that cut off most access to cities with a total of about 60 million people, including Wuhan in central China.

Qingdao is a busy port and home to companies such as Haier, a major appliance manufacturer, and the Tsingtao Brewery. The government gave no indication whether the latest cases had contact with travel or trade.

Travelers arriving from abroad in China are still required to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

In other developments in the Asia Pacific region:

India has reported 66,732 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the country’s overall bill to 7.1 million. The Health Ministry also reported 816 deaths in the last 24 hours on Monday, bringing the total deaths to 109,150.

India is seeing fewer new daily cases of the virus since mid-September, when daily infections reached a record 97,894 cases. It has an average of more than 70,000 cases a day so far this month. Health experts have warned that congregations during major festivals later this month and in November have a chance for the virus to spread. They also warn that the coming winter months are expected to worsen respiratory ailments.

– Authorities in the Indonesian capital have moved to ease strict social restrictions despite the steady increase in cases across the country. Jakarta previously imposed large-scale social restrictions from April to June, then gradually eased them. The city regained strict restrictions last month when the virus spread. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said his administration decided to ease restrictions starting Monday as the rise in infections had leveled off. The move came days after President Joko Widodo urged local administrations to refrain from imposing lockdown measures that could cause crippling economic damage to Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

– South Korea has confirmed 97 new cases of coronavirus, a modest increase from the daily levels reported last week. The increase comes as officials ease social distancing restrictions after concluding that broadcasts have slowed after a resurgence in mid-August. Figures released by the Korea Disease Prevention and Control Agency on Monday raised the number of infections since the pandemic began to 24,703, including 433 deaths. South Korea relaxed its social distancing guidelines starting Monday, allowing high-risk businesses such as nightclubs and karaoke bars to open as long as they employ preventive measures. Spectators will also be allowed at professional sporting events, although initially teams will only be able to sell 30% of their stadium seats.