China tests entire city as Covid-19 cases shoot

Mass testing begins in Dongguan over fears of Delta-driven spike in Covid cases.

The manufacturing hub of in China’s most populous province of Guangdong launched mass testing on Monday for the coronavirus and cordoned off communities after detecting its first infections in the current Covid-19 outbreak.

Dongguan launched its citywide testing programme following two cases reported since Friday. (AFP | Representational image)

The Delta variant of the virus has dominated infections in the provincial upsurge, the first time it has hit China. Seen by experts as highly transmissible, the variant was first identified in India.

Dongguan launched its citywide testing programme following two cases reported since Friday. City authorities told residents not to leave, except for essential reasons.

Even then, those leaving must show negative test results within 48 hours of departure. Entrances on highways to other cities were closed, while shuttle buses between airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and a check-in terminal in Dongguan, were halted. China reported 17 new mainland infections on June 20, its health authority said, adding that one of the new cases was a local infection in Dongguan, while the rest of the cases were imported.

US announces plans to allocate 55 million doses

The US on Monday announced its plans to allocate 55mn doses of Covid-19 vaccines to the rest of the world, including 16 million to Asian nations such as India and Bangladesh.

Indonesia crossed two million coronavirus cases on Monday as infection rates soared and hospitals were flooded with patients, prompting warnings that the country’s health crisis could spiral out of control.

New Zealand’s medicines regulator Medsafe has provisionally approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron invited music fans to a techno party at the presidential palace on Monday, resuming a pre-pandemic tradition to mark the country’s annual street music festival. France celebrates music annually with a giant street party on June 21.

Vaccines less effective against Delta: WHO

Current Covid-19 vaccines are less effective against the Delta variant, but they still prevent severe disease and death, Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) technical lead for Covid-19, has said.

Separately, the WHO said that it is in discussions with numerous companies and institutions to create a technology transfer hub for coronavirus vaccines in South Africa.