Classes suspended, home quarantine urged in China's Ruili

KUNMING -- Schools in Ruili, Southwest China's Yunnan province, have been suspended since Wednesday and residents have been urged to stay home following reports of new COVID-19 cases.

According to the city government at a press briefing on Thursday, students and teachers are required to undergo home quarantine and classes will continue on online platforms.

The city's stock of medical materials is sufficient, the government said, adding that a further 30 days' worth of personal protective equipment including masks, protective suits and gloves will arrive before April 3.

The supply of daily necessities is also stable, said Gong Yunzun, the city's Party chief. Seven large supermarkets in Ruili can meet the demand for the next two weeks and their stocks can be replenished within three days.

Gong said that home delivery services have been arranged for those under home quarantine in high-risk neighborhoods. Other residents have been urged to stay at home.

Sample taking for the first round of city-wide nucleic acid testing was completed Thursday morning. A total of 309,448 samples were collected, and the results for 105,530 samples have been available.

Sun Jiyuan, a local villager, told Xinhua that now COVID-19 vaccines and medical materials such as masks and alcohol are all available in Ruili. People just need to stay put and avoid cross infections.

A total of 1,320 close contacts of the confirmed or asymptomatic cases were traced by Thursday morning and are under medical observation at eight quarantine hotels.

The city reported six new COVID-19 cases and 23 asymptomatic cases on Wednesday, following the six confirmed cases reported the day before.

The city bordering Myanmar on Thursday ordered all jewelry trading markets including online live-streaming platforms to suspend business for epidemic prevention and control.