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Coronavirus pandemic
ChinaPolitics

Covid-19 in China: Shenzhen braces for more after Delta variant infects couple

  • Delta infections from unknown source are first local Covid-19 cases for Shenzhen since May 2020 outbreak
  • Ongoing outbreak in Xian accounted for 46 of the 95 locally transmitted cases reported nationwide on Saturday

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Shenzhen residents queue for Covid-19 tests. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Kinling Lo
The southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen is bracing for more Covid-19 cases after two infections from an unknown source were discovered during routine screening.

The Shenzhen Health Commission on Friday night said the infections were of the Delta variant, the first time the city in Guangdong province has reported local Covid-19 cases since an outbreak in May 2020.

This came as 159 new Covid-19 cases were reported by China’s National Health Commission on Saturday morning, of which 95 were local transmissions.

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Chinese city Yuzhou of over 1 million forced into lockdown with just 3 coronavirus cases recorded

Chinese city Yuzhou of over 1 million forced into lockdown with just 3 coronavirus cases recorded

The patients in Shenzhen, a married couple both aged 29, appeared to have been infected from the same source, according to lab reports. But the source has yet to be identified.

“As we conduct further checks and tests following the infections, there could be more infections [from Shenzhen],” the Health Commission said in a statement on its official Weibo account.

The commission has published a list of places visited by the infected couple since December 28, and said all large-scale events including forums, training and performances would be subject to tight crowd control measures.

Shenzhen residents have been told not to leave the city unless necessary. Those wishing to leave must submit a negative Covid-19 test report from swabs taken within 48 hours of departure.

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