CHINA. North China’s Hebei Province posted the fifth straight daily decline in new confirmed COVID-19 cases Wednesday, a positive sign that the alarming outbreak has been curbed, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday.
The province reported 19 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, following counts of 35, 54, 72 and 90 in the previous four day, state media Global Times reported.
While the number rose marginally today (to 20), according to the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, it appears that the strict measures taken by the authorities are paying off in dealing with the most worrying outbreak since the original crisis began in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei Province in early 2020.
The latest outbreak, dubbed a “mini Wuhan” by CDC head George Gao, has seen over 1,000 new cases since the first infection in months was reported on 2 January. Gao told China Newsweek that the outbreak was under control but warned that utmost care was required, especially during the winter season.
The situation is being closely monitored by the travel retail community given the impending Chinese New Year holidays, a festive period that sees a mass migration of travel across China, including to the duty free hotspot of Hainan island. There, travel retailers are still expecting a boom period but softer than had been anticipated before the latest outbreak.
