Ruili waives accommodation fees for quarantined people

Ruili, a small city in Yunnan province experiencing sporadic COVID-19 infections, has waived accommodation fees of 2.1 million yuan ($328,000) for people quarantined in designated areas before leaving the city, Mayor Shang Labian said on Tuesday.

The city, which borders Myanmar on three sides, has a high risk of imported infections. In order to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spreading to other regions, residents must undergo centralized isolation for seven to 21 days before leaving the city. They must also apply for permission to leave town.

Shang said during a briefing that the city has streamlined procedures for leaving, including reducing applicants' waiting time by designating staff to handle applications around the clock.

From Nov 8 to Monday, the city reported 39 locally transmitted cases and 30 imported cases, local authorities said.

"As of now, no local cases have spread from Ruili to other areas," Shang said.

To address difficulties faced by border residents and people whose livelihoods have been affected by virus control regulations, the mayor said the city has also issued a variety of subsidies totaling 68 million yuan.

"We are also processing funds allocated to help 58,300 poor households," he said.