THREE areas in the border city of Ruili, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, have been classified as high-risk areas for COVID-19 starting yesterday amid a recent resurgence in cases.

A total of 15 new cases and five asymptomatic cases were reported in Yunnan Province on Sunday, according to the provincial health commission.

All the confirmed and asymptomatic cases were found in Ruili during a citywide nucleic acid testing campaign, the commission said.

The virus behind the latest cluster of COVID-19 cases in Ruili shared the same origin, gene sequencing results have shown.

Gong Yunzun, Party chief of Ruili, said at a press briefing Saturday that the viruses from 14 COVID-19 cases reported in the city are very similar in their gene sequencing results, suggesting that they came from the same transmission source.

Gong said the viruses belong to the same group as those reported by Myanmar, adding that the virus gene sequencing results of 10 of the cases are exactly the same. No virus mutation has been found.

Ruili launched a citywide vaccination for all its 300,000 residents in urban areas over five days starting Friday.

Gong told the media Thursday that its vaccine supplies are sufficient, and the latest batch of vaccines of 159,000 doses were flown to the city Thursday evening.

Gong noted that herd immunity might be achieved after the citywide vaccination program in the coming four days.

Schools in Ruili have been suspended since last Wednesday and residents have been urged to stay home following reports of new COVID-19 cases.

As of Sunday, 51 confirmed cases and 56 asymptomatic cases are receiving treatment or under medical observation in designated hospitals in the province.

In another development, the country’s civil aviation regulator has announced the suspension of a RwandAir flight, an Ethiopian Airlines flight and a Turkish Airlines flight after several passengers on the routes recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Five passengers tested positive on RwandAir flight WB9500 on March 21, and the flight is suspended for two weeks starting yesterday, said the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Ethiopian Airlines flight ET684 will be suspended for two weeks starting April 12 after five passengers tested positive on the March 23 flight.

A total of 14 passengers tested positive on Turkish Airlines flight TK72 on March 24, and the flight will be suspended for four weeks starting April 19.(CGTN, Xinhua)