Nine Chinese Cities Now Have Local Omicron Flare-Ups

At least nine Chinese cities, including the capital Beijing, have reported locally transmitted cases of the omicron variant of Covid-19 since Jan. 9, with the southern city of Meizhou becoming the latest to detect the highly transmissible strain.

Authorities in Wuhua county in Meizhou, Guangdong province, have imposed strict travel restrictions, banned large gatherings and kicked off mass testing after a 11-year-old boy tested positive for asymptomatic Covid-19 on Sunday. He was later confirmed to have the virus, state media said Monday, the same day that China began its annual travel rush for the Lunar New Year.