China finds imported Omicron cases in Changsha

BEIJING • Two new cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant were detected in the central Chinese city of Changsha from arrivals into the country, state-backed media Xinhua reported last Saturday, citing the municipal government.

The provincial capital of Hunan is the latest place to discover the highly contagious variant in incoming travellers, after the southern province of Guangdong and the northern metropolis of Tianjin reported cases earlier this month.

The infected people never left closed-loop quarantine controls and are being treated in hospitals, local health authorities said.

Omicron has put China's Covid-zero strategy under pressure, although no local transmissions of the variant have yet been reported.

While China is less exposed to its spread due to its closed borders, increased risks are on the horizon.

Beijing will host the Winter Olympics in less than 50 days, when tens of thousands of foreigners will be allowed to enter the country.

Recent reports show that Chinese Covid-19 shots given to the vast majority of its highly vaccinated population do not produce sufficient antibodies against Omicron.

China must maintain strict control measures at ports and borders ahead of the Olympic events, Dr Liang Wannian, who leads China's special task force on the pandemic response, said last Saturday.

Meanwhile, local outbreaks of non-Omicron Covid-19 cases continue to grow.

China reported 44 locally transmitted cases yesterday in Zhejiang, Shaanxi and Guangdong. Four other asymptomatic infections were reported, including one in Shanghai.

A student at a Beijing art studio also tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday, according to the local health commission, which did not specify the variant the person was infected with.

BLOOMBERG