Tens of thousands of university students are under lockdown on their campuses in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, which is battling the biggest flareup in the country’s current Covid-19 outbreak, according to the Dushikuaibao newspaper.
Two universities in Zhuanghe in Dalian have imposed the curbs since the port city discovered Covid cases on Nov 4, the report said, citing students. Classes are being held online, the paper said.
China is trying to contain its fourth outbreak of the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant in the past five months, and has been relentless in pursuit of its zero-Covid goals.
With more than 1,000 locally transmitted infections spread across 21 provinces, the current outbreak is the broadest flare-up since the virus first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019.
Dalian has become the country’s latest hotspot, reporting 40 local cases on Saturday out of the 57 new infections added nationwide. The city’s authorities have urged people not to leave their homes to reduce transmission, and have halted operations at public venues deemed non-essential.
China has vaccinated 95% of students older than 18, and half of all children aged three to 11, and will increase its program, Wang Dengfeng, director of the prevention and control office under the Ministry of Education, said on Saturday in Beijing.
The country has fully vaccinated 1.07 billion people, and 49 million have received booster shots, according the National Health Commission.
