Southern China: Schools shut after 2 virus cases found

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - At least 66 local schools in southern China were closed and residents asked to stay in isolation for the next two weeks after two asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus were reported, according to local media on Tuesday.

The cases were found among Burmese nationals who tested positive for COVID-19 and were diagnosed as asymptomatic during quarantine at a designated location in Mengding, Yunnan province, the Chinese daily Global Times reported.

To prevent infection, authorities have suspended school and work and directed people to stay in isolation for 14 days.

In Shanghai, health authorities said a worker at the Pudong International Airport tested positive for the infection.

This prompted intense screening of the patients' contacts, though all 8,717 tests were negative, Shanghai's health authority said.

Meanwhile, China's National Health Commission (NHC) reported 22 new cases of the coronavirus nationwide, 21 of which were imported.

China has reported 3,624 imported COVID-19 cases, 3,258 of which were discharged from hospitals after being treated.

Since first reported in Wuhan city, China has reported 86,267 coronavirus cases, including 4,634 deaths.

In all, 81,207 patients recovered and were discharged from hospitals, the NHC said.

China has also suspended imports of frozen pomfret fish from an Indonesian manufacturer Anugrah Laut for one week after a sample of the company tested coronavirus positive.