The north Chinese city of Tianjin on Sunday recommended to its 14 million residents that they stay home while massive anticovid tests were carried out after detecting several cases, some of them of the omicron variant, state media reported.
Tianjin, a large port city about 150 km southeast of Beijing, has become a new area of concern for health authorities after more than 20 cases of covid-19 have been detected in recent days, most imported from abroad. according to the national health commission.
There are at least two cases of the omicron variant, and 15 infections in schools, according to various state media.
Tianjin launched a mass testing campaign on Sunday, urging residents to stay at home or near their home to facilitate screening.
Chinese authorities have already had to cope with a larger outbreak in the northwestern city of Xi’an.
The draconian zero-tolerance measures applied by the Asian giant against the coronavirus, including strict confinements and immediate mass tests, have drawn criticism.
According to official figures, since the beginning of the pandemic China has only registered 100,000 cases, of which 4,636 died.
