Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING – The daily number of Covid cases in China has risen into the hundreds as the summer holidays begin. Many of the cases have hit central China rather than financial centers such as Beijing and Shanghai. The number of infections in the Guangdong production hub has increased with no significant restrictions on operations yet. But the sudden closure of businesses in a tourist area in the southwestern region of Guangxi left more than 2,000 visitors stranded since Sunday, state media reported. The report said local authorities would help tourists leave. On Monday, the city of Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province ordered bars, gyms and indoor entertainment venues to temporarily close for a week. While the city – known for its spicy cuisine – did not ban people from dining inside restaurants, authorities said they encouraged people to order delivery or takeout. Mainland China reported 108 new Covid cases with symptoms and 827 without symptoms for Tuesday. The western province of Gansu and Guangxi accounted for the majority, but at least a handful of cases were reported in 12 other province-wide areas. The increase in hundreds of cases per day has occurred in the last week and a half alone. The mainland reported no new deaths from Covid during this period. From the end of June, the central government started to relax the quarantine measures. The capital Beijing has eased restrictions on entering the city from other parts of China. However, domestic visitors to the capital or various parts of China may need to be quarantined for a week upon arrival, depending on the presence of Covid in their travel history. In the first half of the year, domestic tourist trips fell 22.2 percent from last year to 1.46 billion, according to the tourism ministry. A quarterly breakdown was not available, although the report said the second quarter was heavily affected by Covid.
