NORTH China’s Tianjin, a municipality that neighbors Beijing, has decided to start a citywide nucleic acid testing after 20 people tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said yesterday.

The infections were reported from 6 p.m. Friday to 9 p.m. Saturday in Jinnan District, and the gene sequencing found the first two locally transmitted confirmed cases were infected with the Omicron variant, according to the municipal headquarters for COVID-19 prevention and control.

The other 18 infections are mainly students and their family members related to a daycare center and a primary school where the first two cases were from, Gu Qing, director of the municipal health commission, said at a press conference late Saturday.

The virus has spread for at least three generations in the latest resurgence, and more cases may emerge, said Zhang Ying, deputy director of the city’s center for disease control and prevention.

It is not confirmed yet whether the infections are related to the imported case of Omicron variant infection in the city.

The citywide nucleic acid testing was expected to be completed in 24 hours in four districts from 7 a.m. yesterday and in 12 other districts from 7 a.m. today, and residents will not be given a green health code until receiving a negative test result, the headquarters said.

The municipal and district departments of commerce have activated emergency response for market supply. They also organized more than 40 supermarkets and produce markets for stable necessity supplies to the residential communities with closed-off management.

A number of catering companies will also provide warm meals for the frontline epidemic-control workers, said the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

Currently, the market supply for daily necessities in the city is abundant, with prices stable, the bureau said.

Commuters between Beijing and Tianjin have been advised to work at home, according to the Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The center also told people in Beijing not to go to Tianjin unless necessary.

Zhengzhou, capital of Central China’s Henan Province, which is also hit hard by the virus, has suspended offline classes in an effort to effectively block the spread of the epidemic.

Kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in the city have closed off their campuses and offer online courses for students since today.

All extracurricular training institutions are required to suspend offline teaching activities.

The city also urged all working units, including Party and government organs at all levels, as well as enterprises and public institutions, to strictly implement all epidemic prevention and control measures and reduce staff gatherings.

Dining enterprises are required to suspend dine-in services since Saturday noon, while take-out orders are allowed.

Henan reported 56 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases Saturday, and 11 of them were in Zhengzhou, according to the National Health Commission.

In another development, Xi’an, capital city of Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, on Saturday downgraded the classifications of five areas from medium-risk for COVID-19 to low-risk, according to a press conference held Saturday afternoon.

The city currently has a total of three high-risk areas and 55 medium-risk areas.

Xi’an reported 30 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases Saturday, local authorities said yesterday. (Xinhua)