Cases Jump In Suspected Omicron Outbreak In Henan

Another 58 local Covid-19 infections, possibly linked to the outbreak of the Omicron variant in Tianjin, have been reported in Anyang City, in the north of Henan Province.

The Xinhua News Agency said 84 locally-transmitted cases have now been confirmed in the city since the first case was reported on Saturday.

The Anyang City government said the first cases are believed to be linked to the same transmission chain as the existing local cases in the Tianjin Municipality, which have been confirmed to be caused by Omicron.

On Monday, local officials confirmed two of the patients had caught the highly-transmissible Covid strain from a student who returned to Anyang on December 28.

The municipal government on Monday evening banned all vehicles from roads and required all residents to stay put while an epidemiological investigation is underway. All supermarkets have suspended business other than selling daily necessities. Shops have been closed and take-out services have also been suspended.

Anyang City has a population of about 5.5 million people.

In Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, classroom teaching has been suspended along with dine-in services at restaurants and transport, as officials battle a coronavirus outbreak that's so far spread to more than 100 people.

Tens of millions of nucleic acid tests have been carried out in six citywide mass testing campaigns, according to Xinhua.