Chinese asked to stay vigilant as coronavirus cases continue to slow
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China’s official media told people to stay on guard against the coronavirus on Saturday, and restrictions on foreigners entering went into effect, as the country reported no new locally transmitted infections and a small drop in imported cases.
“At this time, we must be extremely vigilant and cautious, and we must prevent the post-epidemic relaxation from coming too soon, leading to the loss of all our achievements,” the Communist Party’s official People’s Daily newspaper said in a front-page editorial.
The authorities also reversed planned reopenings of movie theaters, the state-owned China Securities Journal reported, citing sources.
Most signs of official concern remain focused on the risk posed by so-called imported virus cases after widespread lockdowns within China helped to sharply reduce domestic transmissions. Effective Saturday, China has suspended the entry of foreign nationals with valid Chinese visas and residence permits.
Beijing has also ordered airlines to sharply cut international flights from Sunday.
China’s National Health Commission said on Saturday that 54 new coronavirus cases were reported on the mainland on Friday, all involving so-called imported cases. There were 55 new cases a day earlier, one of which was transmitted locally.
The total number of infections for mainland China now stands at 81,394, with the death toll rising by three to 3,295, the commission said.
