In Brief : Hainan, Tibet act to curb outbreaks

SHANGHAI • A few cities in China's tourism hub Hainan extended lockdowns yesterday, with some of the measures expected to last through the weekend, while Lhasa in Tibet also tightened restrictions.

These are among the latest curbs to contain Covid-19 clusters in the country.

The National Health Commission said yesterday that there were 1,851 domestically transmitted new cases on Thursday.

REUTERS

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Philippine schools to reopen

MANILA • Schools in the Philippines will finally reopen their doors to students on Aug 22, after 21/2 years - one of the longest pandemic-induced school closures in the world.

As well as devastating the individual prospects of countless children, the extended hiatus is threatening to leave long-term scars on an economy historically reliant on sending high-skilled workers abroad.

BLOOMBERG

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Record fall in HK population

HONG KONG • Hong Kong's population dropped by a record as people fled strict Covid-19 restrictions that have hobbled the city.

The city saw a decline of 121,500 residents in the year ended June 30, leaving the population at about 7.29 million, according to government data released on Thursday. That means the population fell 1.6 per cent, marking the biggest drop in at least six decades.

BLOOMBERG