Guangdong outbreak moving in 'positive direction', health official says

The current COVID-19 outbreak in Guangdong province is easing and moving in a positive direction, a provincial health official said, stressing epidemic control during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday from Saturday to Monday.

The outbreak in Shenzhen has been largely brought under control, and initial achievements have been noted in epidemic control in the cities of Guangzhou, Foshan, Maoming and Zhanjiang, said Xu Qingfeng, deputy director of the provincial health commission, at a news conference in Guangzhou on Friday.

Province-wide, the outbreak is expected to come under control in the near future, without a sign of widespread transmission at the moment, he said.

As of Thursday, since May 21 this locally transmitted outbreak had resulted in 121 patients and seven asymptomatic carriers in Guangzhou, 10 patients in Foshan, one patient in Zhanjiang and one asymptomatic carrier in Maoming. Four patients and 12 asymptomatic carriers had been reported in Shenzhen.

To continue to contain the virus, dragon boat races in cities with medium and high-risk areas are suspended. The activity is advised to be postponed if possible in other cities and if to be organized, strict epidemic control measures are required, Xu said.

People are encouraged to spend the holiday locally and avoid trips outside the province. People from low-risk areas in Guangzhou and Foshan should present a negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours when they travel outside Guangdong. Those from other cities should provide a negative nucleic acid test report within 72 hours for such a trip.

In cities in Guangdong, except for Guangzhou and Foshan, scenic spots, movie theaters, internet bars and gymnasiums are allowed to accept customers at no more than 75 percent of their capacity.

Special groups of people should report to the local community after returning to their hometown. These groups include those who have come from abroad and just finished quarantine, truck drivers working across the Guangdong-Hong Kong border, crews of small vessels shipping to and from Hong Kong and Macao, staff at quarantine venues and fever clinics, those processing imported cold-chain food and international flight crew members.

COVID-19 vaccine inoculation will continue during the three-day holiday.