Dalian outbreak wanes as cases drop

Dalian, Liaoning province, reported no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases either with or without symptoms on Thursday, the first time since the emergence of an outbreak on July 22 in the northeastern port city.

As of Thursday, with five confirmed and five asymptomatic patients discharged, hospitalizations dropped to 87. Asymptomatic cases under medical observation stand at 21, local health authorities said.

The daily figure of confirmed locally transmitted cases has been in single digits for several days, and recoveries have been increasing, said Zhao Lian, deputy director of the Dalian health commission, at a news conference on Friday.

The city's overall status in epidemic prevention and control has continued to improve, Zhao said, but she added that risks and uncertainties still exist.

"We must implement all measures for epidemic prevention and control in a scientific, precise and effective way, and resolutely prevent the outbreak from rebounding," she said.

Zhao said that Dalian will continue to improve its environmental sanitation in urban and rural areas to reduce the risk of infectious diseases and help win the fight against the epidemic.

Duan Hongtao, deputy director of the city's industry and information technology bureau, said that enterprises and institutions have been told to strengthen their internal management to minimize the impact of the coronavirus and the effect of the epidemic on the economy.

The bureau has commissioned research on the disinfection and control standards for cold chain food handling and seafood processing, striving to make those sectors safe, Duan said.