Relatively few Covid-19 cases have forced the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin to close many entertainment venues, as well as some kindergartens and schools.

This is yet another major Chinese city struggling with emerging outbreaks of the coronavirus, Reuters reported.

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Tianjin, which has a population of more than 12 million, reported 11 locally transmitted infections on Monday after about a week of no official cases.

A representative of the holding company serving the port of Tianjin said it was operating normally.

Over the past two years, cases of Covid in Tianjin and the rest of China have been relatively few compared to those around the world, but China maintains a "dynamic zero-covid policy", containing outbreaks as soon as they occur, despite strict measures in response to the rapidly spreading variant, Omicron has caused problems for local businesses and worsened the outlook for the world's second largest economy.

Tianjin authorities said last night that various indoor entertainment venues such as chess parlors, card games and bars had been ordered to close.

The order affects two areas with a total of over two million inhabitants.

In one of the areas for closed kindergartens and schools.

China registered over 2,400 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours

Analysts from the Nomura holding company reported that about 264.1 million people in 41 Chinese cities are affected by full or partial lockdowns, as well as other anti-epidemic measures.

By comparison, last week it was reported that 247.5 million in 31 cities were affected.

Along with the cases in Tianjin, as of yesterday, according to data from the National Health Commission of mainland China, there were 699 new cases on local soil, of which 199 were symptomatic and 500 were asymptomatic.

Most of yesterday's new cases were in northeastern Gansu province and southern Guangxi autonomous region.

In Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu, with a population of 100,000, a lockdown was imposed yesterday, with each member of a household only allowed to leave their home once a day to buy food.

Last week, a lockdown began in four other large counties with a population of about three million.

It was extended until July 24.

Beihai, a coastal city in Guangxi autonomous region, has recorded more than 700 new cases, making it the biggest tourist city hit by travel restrictions.

Authorities in Beihai have ordered hotel and travel agency officials to fully refund people who booked excursions and overnight stays.

The authorities in the city will also have to take care of the more than two thousand tourists left in the city.

Some of them have been in close contact with the infection or have visited areas affected by the virus and cannot leave the city without being quarantined.

Only those who show negative results of a covid test taken in the last 48 hours can leave.

Shanghai tests massively for COVID-19

China's financial center Shanghai reported 23 new local cases yesterday and today began mass testing in many of its sixteen districts following a similar campaign last week.

No new deaths were reported in China, which means that the death toll from covid remains at 5,226 thousand.

As of Monday, mainland China has confirmed 227,830 symptomatic cases, which include both local infections and those infected during international travel, BTA adds.

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