China re-imposes lockdowns as COVID cases surge in 11 provinces

China is re-imposing fresh lockdowns amid rising Covid-19 infections, the country recorded more than 100 cases across 11 provinces over the last week. Mi Feng, a spokesman at the National Health Commission (NHC), said at a news conference that there is an increasing risk that the outbreak will spread even further. "Since October 17, there have been multiple scattered local outbreaks in China, and they're expanding rapidly," said Feng. The rapid spread comes despite about 75 per cent of China's population -- of more than a billion people -- being fully vaccinated, according to Mi. Beijing  tightened entry restrictions into the city, requiring travellers from places with confirmed cases to present a negative coronavirus test and undergo 14 days of health monitoring, reported CNN. The city gears up for the 2022 Winter Olympics in February..

The spread of coronavirus infections worried the Chinese government, which insists on a strict zero-Covid policy to stamp out infections. The outbreak was first detected on October 16 among a tour group of fully vaccinated senior citizens from Shanghai who travelled in several northern regions. Among the 133 infections reported as of Sunday, 106 were linked to 13 tour groups, according to Mi, the NHC health official, reported CNN. Infections have been reported in nearly a third of the country's provinces and regions, with all medium- and high-risk regions concentrated in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Guizhou and Beijing. Authorities have banned travel agencies from organising cross-provincial tours in these regions.