China deals with imported cases

The mainland has reported several imported Covid-19 cases, including a man who arrived in Shenzhen from London via Hong Kong.

Shenzhen authorities are tracing passengers who boarded the same ferry as the man from Hong Kong International Airport.

The 35-year-old man was confirmed with the virus on Sunday after developing a cough and fever on February 29. More than 200 of his contacts are under quarantine, including family members and residents from the block where he lived in Futian district, Shenzhen.

The man, who worked in Bristol, England, took Cathay Pacific flight CX250 on February 27 to Hong Kong from London, according to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province.

Following the case, the Hong Kong International Airport said "all cross-boundary land transport and ferry transfer services for passengers from HKIA to mainland China provided by service providers of HKIA have been suspended until further notice."

Ferry transfer services from the mainland including ferry ports in Humen of Dongguan, Lianhuashan and Nansha of Guangzhou, Shekou in Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Jiuzhou in Zhuhai to the airport, will continue with limited service, it said.

Zhejiang province also reported an imported case after a 31-year-old woman took Aeroflot flight SU2415H from Milan to Shanghai via Moscow.

However, the province lowered its epidemic emergency response level yesterday, after more than 15 provinces had lowered their response level amid visible progress in containment efforts.

In Chongqing, some 75 passengers on Air China flight CA440 from Seoul have been quarantined since Sunday after four of them were reported as feverish.

Flights from China to South Korea and Japan have been reduced for the next two weeks as a precaution, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The total number of flights between China and South Korea this week has been reduced to 320 with a further cut to 276 next week.

Flights between China and Japan will be cut to 380 this week, with a further reduction to 263 next week.

Nanjing in Jiangsu province introduced a 14-day mandatory quarantine for those arriving from areas with serious outbreaks.

China yesterday reported 202 new cases over the past day, the lowest increase in more than one month.

Hubei accounted for all 42 deaths in the mainland, with 32 occurring in Wuhan.

The number of new cases in Wuhan fell below 200 for the first time in 34 days, with a makeshift hospital in the city closing on Sunday after the last 34 patients recovered and were discharged.

It was the first makeshift hospital to close in the worst-hit city as the situation improves.

charlotte.luo@singtaonewscorp.com