Omicron in Shenzhen, Bars in Futian Ordered to Close

As Shenzhen confirms its first case of the omicron variant, bars, internet cafes, spas and nightclubs in Futian district are to be closed immediately. Restaurants throughout the city will remain open. 

A Futian local official relayed information of the closures to the district’s venue owners and managers via WeChat, which was exclusively shared with That’s.

As of 8pm, January 16, the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission reported two new confirmed cases of COVID-19. One of which is infected with the omicron variant, raising the city’s total number of cases to 17.

A 24-year-old woman working in Shenzhen’s Longgang district has been reported as the city’s 16th COVID-19 case. The unnamed woman was placed in quarantine on January 7 after being identified as a close contact to a previously confirmed case. During this time, she tested positive for carrying the delta variant.

The 17th case is a 21-year-old woman also working in the Longgang District. She is engaged in receiving and delivering imported frozen chemical reagents. The woman tested positive for the virus on January 15 during the third phase of nucleic acid testing. It was later revealed that the patient was infected with the omicron variant. 

An official from the Shenzhen Health Commission, Lin Hancheng, stated at a conference on Sunday that the 21-year-old woman’s omicron infection is not connected to the city’s 16 previous cases. 

The two individuals have since been moved to the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen for further treatment, where both women are reported to be in stable conditions.

The Commission also reported that the patient’s apartment buildings, as well as neighboring areas, have been placed under lockdown as preventative measures, while primary close contacts have undergone routine nucleic acid screening.

As of press time, the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province has three mid-risk areas in the Xiangzhou district. The city reported nine new confirmed cases on Sunday, with only one asymptomatic case. Government officials have since tightened COVID-19 restrictions, requiring residents across the city to undergo nucleic acid testing from Sunday, January 16 to Tuesday, January 18.

Please remember to stay safe and to strictly follow the instructions posted by authorities, and to remain cooperative when approached by enforcement officers.

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