China's virus-hit Tianjin tightens measures to curb fresh outbreak

TIANJIN, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- North China's Tianjin Municipality on Thursday announced it would upgrade its COVID-19 prevention and control measures in risk areas to lower the risk of the virus spreading.

Vehicles entering and leaving the affected areas will be arranged by local authorities and people outside the risk areas under government control are prohibited from visiting those areas to deliver materials.

The municipal headquarters for COVID-19 prevention and control and relevant leading groups of the affected areas have vowed to intensify their efforts to ensure the distribution of goods and supplies for the daily needs of the locals.

Tianjin has also enforced traffic control measures to ensure the smooth passage of vehicles carrying anti-epidemic supplies. Drivers and porters involved in delivering such supplies should strictly protect themselves and monitor their health conditions on a daily basis with routine nucleic acid testings carried out every other day. For the drivers and porters, any other non-essential in-person contact with others should be avoided.

The city logged 41 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, according to the daily report released by the National Health Commission on Thursday.