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Andy Wong
By Thursday, the health commission of the province bordering the capital reported 90 illnesses and 144 asymptomatic infections. A further increase was expected.
The authorities are alarmed and have declared a “state of war” in the fight against the virus. The provincial capital, Shijiazhuang, located 300 kilometers to the northeast, is particularly affected. Transport connections by buses, trains and airplanes to the metropolis were largely disrupted. The eleven million inhabitants are being put to the test. Some residential areas have been cordoned off. Classes have been suspended in kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools. More medical personnel were mobilized and sent to the province.
In addition to Shijiazhuang, the cities of Xingtai and Nangong, where 500,000 people are being tested, are also affected. The capital, Beijing, took protective measures. Road controls have been established. Freight from Hebei is also strictly controlled. The new outbreak raises concerns about the impending wave of travel ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations on February 12. A few hundred million people are usually on their way to their hometowns for the most important family festival for the Chinese. However, authorities have already warned migrant workers not to travel home this time.
More than a year ago, the first cases of the Sars-CoV-2 virus were discovered in the central Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, which has now infected 87 million people worldwide. More than 1.8 million have died as a result. After initially mishandling the virus, Chinese authorities have cracked down on since late January 2020, largely controlling the pandemic with quarantine, curfews, contact tracing and extensive border entry restrictions. So life in China returned to normal.
