The authorities of Haikou, the capital of China’s Hainan province, have extended the quarantine period for another 13 hours in connection with the growing epidemic of COVID-19 in the island province during the summer vacation of students, the Associated Press reports.
The extension will last until 20:00 local time, after Saturday’s indefinite closure of the local resort of Sanya, located in southern Hainan, leaving tourists stranded in hotels. According to reports, about 80,000 tourists are stuck in Sanya. The local authorities allow tourists to be released only after they pass the PCR test five times during the week and receive negative results, details here.
Lockdowns were also announced yesterday in four more Hainan cities.
In the past 24 hours, more than 470 new cases of infection have been detected in the province, 245 of which are asymptomatic. In total, more than 760 new infections were detected across China in the last 24 hours.
China continues to steadfastly adhere to its so-called “zero tolerance” policy on Covid, despite the social and economic costs, the Associated Press notes.
Authorities note that thanks to such a policy, hospitalization and death rates remain lower than in other countries that have decided to reopen their economies in light of increased vaccination rates and the availability of more effective ways to treat the disease.