THE mainland Tuesday reported 115 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, of whom 107 were locally transmitted and the rest arrived from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said yesterday.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 90 were reported in North China’s Hebei Province, 16 in Heilongjiang Province and one in Shanxi Province, the commission said in its daily report.

One new suspected case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai, but no deaths related to the disease were reported Tuesday.

China is using a combination of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 amid the latest resurgence of the virus.

Hebei’s capital Shijiazhuang, where more than 300 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been found since the beginning of this year, launched the second round of citywide nucleic acid testing Tuesday, said Meng Xianghong, vice mayor of the city.

Elsewhere in China, the northeastern cities of Dalian and Shenyang in Liaoning Province have also conducted several rounds of citywide nucleic acid tests following the resurgence.

The province has decided to further extend the health observation period to 28 days for all inbound travelers from abroad. In addition to the current 14-day centralized medical quarantine and seven-day home observation, the new “14+7+7” model will enforce another week of health monitoring, during which the quarantined individual must regularly report body temperature to the local community.

Similarly, Beijing has also extended the observation period for inbound travelers to 21 days following sporadic locally transmitted cases. The capital has further laid out requirements for COVID prevention and control in public transport services, including taxis and road passenger transportation.

Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, yesterday described the country’s COVID prevention and control situation as “complex” and “challenging.”

China has seen multiple areas report both sporadic cases and clusters of infections, said Mi, noting that the latest resurgence of the virus is characterized by its long duration and its spread to a wide range of regions.

Mi said at a press conference that there are more rural cases and affected elderly people during this wave. Community and intergenerational transmission have also been observed in some areas.

The commission yesterday called on rural health centers to remain alert to the challenges of COVID containment in rural areas as the Spring Festival approaches.

Wang Bin, an official with the commission, said that the upcoming Spring Festival will see a large number of people return home to mark the festival with their families, Wang said, warning that the increased movement of people between urban and rural areas will bring challenges to epidemic control in rural areas.

Wang called on rural health centers and clinics to raise the awareness of promptly identifying and reporting cases.

(Xinhua)