China reports 55 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases
Jan 19, 2022
Beijing [China], January 19 : China on Tuesday reported 55 new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases amid the emergence of the Omicron COVID-19 variant cases in the country.
According to Xinhua News Agency, out of the new local cases, 33 infections were reported in Henan, 14 in Tianjin, seven in Guangdong, and one in Beijing, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.
Across the Chinese mainland, a total of 32 imported COVID-19 cases were also newly reported.
The commission noted that there were no new deaths from COVID-19 but added that five new suspected infections, all arriving from overseas, were recorded, Xinhua reported.
Meanwhile, Beijing had reported its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, as it readies to host the Winter Olympics next month.
The strict new COVID-19 restrictions come into force in the city. Beijing will now require travellers to get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival in the Chinese capital, Taipei Times reported.
The new rule, effective from Saturday to the end of March, is aimed to help with early detection of Omicron, which is surging globally, and the control of epidemic risks, Beijing Daily, a government newspaper, said on social media.
