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Major manufacturing hub in China hit by Delta variant

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BEIJING The major manufacturing hub of Dongguan in China's most populous province of Guangdong in the south launched mass testing yesterday for the coronavirus and cordoned off communities after detecting its first infections in the current outbreak.

The Delta variant of Covid-19 has dominated infections in the provincial upsurge, the first time it has hit China. Touted as highly transmissible by experts, the variant was first identified in India.

Dongguan launched its citywide testing programme following two cases reported since last Friday.

City authorities told residents not to leave, except for essential reasons.

Even then, those leaving must show negative test results within 48 hours of departure.

Entrances on highways to other cities were closed, while shuttle buses between airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and a check-in terminal in Dongguan, were halted.

Some museums and libraries in the city also closed to visitors.

Its factories are still running, however.

Guangdong has reported 168 confirmed infections since May 21, with nearly 90 per cent of them in its capital, Guangzhou.

China reported 17 new mainland infections on Sunday, down from 23 a day earlier, its health authority said yesterday, adding that one of the new cases was a local infection in Dongguan, while the rest were imported.

The total number of confirmed cases in China is now at 91,604, with the death toll unchanged at 4,636. - REUTERS

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