Yunnan adds 6 confirmed, 23 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases

Yunnan province reported six confirmed COVID-19 cases and 23 asymptomatic infections on Wednesday, the Health Commission of Yunnan Province announced on Thursday. All of the cases are in Ruili city.

The city started citywide nucleic acid testing at 8 am on Wednesday. By 8 pm Wednesday, 207,136 samples had been collected and 29 people were found to be positive, Gong Yunzun, the city's Party secretary, said at the news conference held in the evening of Wednesday.

Nucleic acid testing and epidemiological investigations are still ongoing.

At a meeting held in Ruili on Wednesday on dealing with the epidemic, Ruan Chengfa, Party chief of Yunnan, urged the acceleration of citywide nucleic acid testing with no one being left behind.

He urged launching vaccinations all around to build an immune barrier as soon as possible.

Comprehensive vaccinations for COVID-19 will be carried out in the four border counties and cities including Ruili today, according to the disease control and prevention center of Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture which administers Ruili.

To date, 65 stations have been set up for the vaccination work and enough COVID-19 vaccines are in place, said the center.

Wang Yubo, governor of Yunnan, urged taking effective measures to prevent cross infections and cluster infections. All efforts should be taken to save the patients to ensure no people die from COVID-19, and to ensure no medical staff are infected, he said.

On Monday, one person was found to test positive during routine nucleic acid testing for key populations in Ruili. After testing key populations and the first person's close contacts, eight others were found to be positive on Tuesday, triggering a range of measures including citywide nucleic acid testing, a one-week home quarantine and traffic curbs to contain the coronavirus spread.