Flights cancelled, schools closed as China fights coronavirus outbreak

Authorities in China cancelled hundreds of flights, closed schools and ramped up mass testing on Thursday to try and stamp out a new Covid-19 outbreak linked to a group of tourists.

Beijing has maintained a relentless zero-Covid approach with strict border closures and targeted lockdowns, even as other countries tentatively try to ease restrictions.

Domestic outbreaks have  largely been eliminated, but as China logged a fifth straight day of new cases — mostly in northern and northwestern areas — authorities beefed up coronavirus controls.

The latest outbreak was linked to an elderly couple who were in a group of several tourists. They started in Shanghai before flying to Xi’an, Gansu province and Inner Mongolia.

Dozens of cases have since been linked to their travel, with close contacts in at least five provinces and regions, including the capital Beijing.

In response, local governments have rolled out mass testing and closed scenic spots and tourist sites, schools and entertainment venues in affected areas, and also imposed targeted lockdowns of housing compounds.

Some regions including Lanzhou — a city of some four million people in northwestern China — have told residents not to leave unless necessary.

Those who need to leave must present a negative Covid-19 test.

Airports in the affected regions have cancelled hundreds of flights, according to data from aviation tracker VariFlight.

Around 60 per cent of flights to the two main airports in Xi’an and Lanzhou have been cancelled.

A booster shot of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech is 95.6 per cent effective against symptomatic infection, according to trial data published by the makers on Thursday.

The clinical phase three trial with ‘10,000 participants 16 years of age and older’ showed ‘a relative vaccine efficacy of 95.6 per cent against disease during a period when Delta was the prevalent strain’, the companies said in a statement.

The study presented the ‘first results’ of a booster trial, with a third shot of the vaccine demonstrating a ‘favourable safety profile’.

‘These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease,’ said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

The coronavirus has killed at least 49,19,395 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1000 GMT on Thursday.

At least 24,19,57,600 cases of coronavirus have been registered. On Wednesday, 8,774 new deaths and 4,57,817 new cases were recorded worldwide.

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were United States with 3,222 new deaths, followed by Russia with 1,036 and Ukraine with 546.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 7,31,265 deaths from 4,52,19,067 cases.

Russian president Vladimir Putin orders a nationwide week-long paid holiday to curb infections in Europe’s worst affected country and urges Russians to show ‘responsibility’ and get vaccinated.

In the Russian capital, mayor Sergei Sobyanin orders the closure of all non-essential services between October 28 and November 7.

The United States is to start vaccinating children aged five to 11 starting next month, the White House says.

India administers its one billionth vaccine dose as it fights its way back from a devastating surge that brought the health system close to collapse.

Latvia plunges back into lockdown with non-essential shops closed and cinemas, theatres and hairdressers shutting down for a month in a bid to break the world’s worst infection rate.

A Brazilian senate committee recommends president Jair Bolsonaro face at least 10 charges, including crimes against humanity, over his handling of the pandemic, according to local media.

Singapore’s healthcare system is at risk of being ‘overwhelmed’ by surging infections, government officials warn, just days after the city-state expanded quarantine-free travel.

One of the world’s most locked-down cities will reopen, with Melbourne residents hoping this sixth bout of stay-at-home restrictions will be their last.

Japan’s capital will lift curbs on bar and restaurant opening hours as virus cases drop to their lowest level this year.

Separatist leaders in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia call for a boycott of a December independence referendum, urging the government to focus on the Covid crisis.

President Uhuru Kenyatta orders the lifting of a virus curfew in force since March 2020 and unveils a stimulus package to try to revitalise the battered economy.

AFP