China’s Guangzhou city warns of Covid-spread risks as cases climb

China's southern city of Guangzhou reported 1,325 local Covid-19 cases for Saturday, compared with 746 a day earlier, and officials warned of risks of community spread in some areas of the factory hub.

Most new infections were found in the Haizhu district of the Guangdong province capital, the municipal government said at a briefing on Sunday. Some residents in middle- and high-risk areas for Covid had violated movement restrictions, causing the virus to spread to nearly districts, officials said.

Earlier, residents in Haizhu district were asked to avoid leaving their homes until the end of Monday, unless for PCR tests or emergency medical treatment, according to measures announced by the local authorities. Public transport will be suspended during the period.

Countrywide, a total of 4,279 new locally transmitted Covid cases were reported for Saturday, an increase from 3,526 a day earlier.

China health officials reiterated at a briefing that they would adhere to their Covid Zero policy, as the country faces increasingly serious outbreaks.