Zhuhai traces new cases to same transmission chain

Epidemiological investigation and gene sequencing indicated that the COVID-19 infections detected in Zhuhai, Guangdong province are on the same transmission chain, said Huang Yun, deputy director general of Zhuhai city government.

"All the COVID-19 patients and asymptomatic carriers are related to the cluster outbreak involving a kindergarten in the city's Xiangzhou district," Huang said at a news conference on Wednesday night.

Concrete and effective measures are now being introduced to curb the spread of the virus in the city, which borders Macao Special Administrative Region, and authorities were busy tracing the source of the virus, she added.

Meanwhile, a statement released by Zhuhai city government on Wednesday night said three people who claimed Zhuhai was going to be locked down have been detained and fined for spreading false information about the city's epidemic measures.

According to Zhuhai city health commission, the city reported 26 new locally transmitted confirmed cases, plus four asymptomatic carriers, on Wednesday, bringing city's total infections to 35.

Huang said all the 35 infections detected in Zhuhai since Monday include five kindergarten staff members, 18 children, 11 family members of the children and a close contact.

And gene sequencing indicated they have been infected with the Omicron BA.5.1 subvariant.

According to Guangdong Provincial Health Commission, the southern province reported a total of 32 COVID-19 patients and 11 asymptomatic carriers on Wednesday.