Central China city upgrades measures to curb Omicron spread

ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Anyang City, central China's Henan Province, has upgraded epidemic control measures, as 84 COVID-19 local infections have been confirmed since the first confirmed case was reported on Saturday.

The city authority on Tuesday said between midnight Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday, there were 58 newly confirmed local COVID-19 infections.

The municipal government on Monday evening issued orders to ban all vehicles from roads and required all residents to stay put while an epidemiological investigation is underway. The city has a population of about 5.5 million people.

The first cases in the city are believed to be linked to the same transmission chain as the existing local cases in north China's Tianjin Municipality, which are confirmed to be caused by the Omicron variant, according to the publicity department of the Anyang city government.

Currently, all supermarkets in the city have suspended business other than selling daily necessities. Shops have been closed and take-out services have also been suspended.