Chinese city on Myanmar border enters lockdown due to fourth COVID wave
Jul 07, 2021
Yunnan [China], July 7 : A city in southwest China that shares a border with Myanmar went into a full lockdown on Wednesday after the fourth outbreak of infection since the start of the pandemic.
The city of Ruili in Yunnan Province asked all residents to undergo home quarantine as the city authorities closed all establishments with the exception of some markets, hospitals and pharmacies, Xinhua reported.
Ruili has been reporting new locally transmitted cases since July 4. On Tuesday, it reported 15 locally transmitted confirmed cases.
The Global Times reported that the Delta variant was detected in Ruili, making it the second city to be hit by the virus after Guangzhou.
This latest resurgence of cases Ruili marks the fourth time the city has been hit by the novel coronavirus, and its third time imposing lockdown measures to contain resurgence.
Health experts said the long border with Myanmar and the Delta strain may have contributed to the virus resurgence in Ruili.
According to Global Times, residents in China and Myanmar have frequent exchanges, which pose a challenge for virus prevention and control. This could be one of the main reasons for the frequent outbreak in Ruili.