China Fighting More COVID-19 Cases in Northern Regions Near Russian Border  

New coronavirus cases continue to be reported in China’s northeastern regions, near the border with Russia. Chinese leaders are beefing up prevention measures to fight the spread of COVID-19 in the region.  

Many of the new cases have been largely concentrated in Heilongjiang province, where the city of Harbin is the provincial capital. On Tuesday, 22 April, Harbin reported seven new local infections, bringing the total number of active cases there to 52, NPR reports.

In response, Chinese officials are banning all non-residents and non-local vehicles from entering the residential areas of Harbin, the second largest city in northeast China and a major industrial hub. Harbin had previously imposed a 28-day quarantine for anyone arriving from outside China.

"All confirmed cases, suspected cases, close contacts of asymptomatic people, and close contacts of close contacts should be quarantined and tested," Harbin's municipal government announced Wednesday, as reported by state media.

The actions come after Chinese officials shut China’s land border with Russia. Russia initially reported very few coronavirus cases, but recently it has experienced a surge. According to Johns Hopkins University statistics, Russia now hosts roughly 53,000 confirmed cases and has suffered more than 450 COVID-related deaths.

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