Around 20 percent of the 1,500 people quarantined in the Chinese city of Suifenhe which borders with Russia could be infected with COVID-19, according to experts.
After the two-month lockdown in the Chinese city of Wuhan was recently lifted, Beijing authorities are said to be shifting their attention to the risk of another wave of COVID-19 being imported by Chinese citizens returning home from overseas.
The passenger crossing between the city of Suifenhe in the Chinese province of Heilongjiang and Pogranichny in Russia’s far-eastern region of Primorsky Krai was reportedly closed last week to stem a wave of infected travellers.
The remote border city is reportedly struggling to cope with the onslaught of new imported cases and national health authorities have sent experts to help.
Donations of medical equipment from across China has also been sent to the border city.
According to local media, Suifenhe has 1,479 people under collective quarantine and 243 confirmed cases of the virus.
Local officials fear that as many as 15 to 20 percent of those under quarantine could be infected.
Heilongjiang Province epidemiologist Yang Yanjie said the number of infections in Suifenhe will keep rising and the local authorities need about four weeks to cope with the imported cases from Russia.
On 12th April, the number of cases in Heilongjiang jumped to 257 with 246 imported cases, topping the remaining number of 244 cases in the province of Hubei where Wuhan is located, according to local media.
To assist the border city, the national Centre for Disease Control and the National Health Commission (NHC) have sent experts and medical equipment.
Red Cross worker Zhang Lin said: “We have enough disinfectants now, but medical masks, protective suits as well as ventilators are still running short.”
Suifenhe resident Ding told local media that he has never know such a tense atmosphere in the city.
He added: “Some of my friends are doing voluntary work like delivering goods to isolation sites and hospitals.”
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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