(TibetanReview.net, Aug15’22) – Despite stringent containment measures, Covid-19 cases in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) have risen sharply, with 69 new confirmed cases and 523 asymptomatic ones detected on Aug 14 (compared to 59 confirmed and 443 asymptomatic cases detected the day before), reported China’s official chinadaily.com.cn Aug 14 and 15 and news.cgtn.com Aug 15, citing China’s National Health Commission Aug 15.
TAR has continued to report new infections during the past week. As of Aug 14, it had more than 150 confirmed cases and some 1,000 asymptomatic ones, with Shigatse the worst-hit city, said the news.cgtn.com report.
A key reason behind the dramatic increase in cases was stated to be improved PCR testing efficiency, including the accelerating of mass testing especially in Capital Lhasa and Shigatse.
In Lhasa, the disinfection work in the main urban areas, which was initially planned to end on Aug 1,5 has been extended until 3 a.m. on Aug 18, reported the official ecns.cn Aug 15, meaning no one is allowed to leave home till then.
Another chinadaily.com.cn report Aug 14 cited Wang Shoubi, an official from the region’s health commission, as saying at the news briefing that one of the reasons why cases had risen sharply since Aug 13 was that the highly contagious transmissible Omicron variant BA.2.76 has a shorter incubation period and is highly and rapidly transmissible.
The report said three health officials of Lhasa had been removed from their positions for having failed to carry out their duties during the pandemic prevention and control period. No names were mentioned.
Earlier, five officials in Shigatse city were removed from office on Aug 12 for not fully implementing epidemic prevention measures, reported the official globaltimes.cn Aug 13.
The number of infections in the city had risen sharply in the last two days despite being under static management (or lockdown) for a week since Aug 8. Hence, the city has extended the static management period to 1 pm Aug 21, the report said.
Makeshift hospitals built in Lhasa, Xigaze (Shigatse), Ngari, Qamdo (Chamdo) and Nyingchi (Nyingtri) are being used, playing an important role in epidemic control, the globaltimes.cn Aug 14 cite Li Jingzhong, director of the Xizang Autonomous Region CDC, as saying.
Across the People’s Republic of China, fresh Covid-19 have flare-ups with daily cases across 17 provincial-level regions surpassing an unprecedented 2,000 on Aug 14, said a globaltimes.cn report Aug 15. The holiday island of Hainan remains the hardest hit, reporting the highest daily cases in PRC on Aug 13 of 1,340 cases, the report said.