Covid outbreak: China's Hebei province tightens curbs

Beijing: Amidst fears of a repeat of Covid outbreak, Hebei province in China is raising the guard again, with renewed curbs on gatherings including weddings, funeral and family events. The authorities also warn of criminal charges being filed against violators.

Authorities have also cautioned people against traveling in addition to ordering closure of schools a week ahead of schedule, and boosting virus testing rate to a massive scale.

Although the province high court's notice is short on specifics, the restrictions on gatherings were clear and stern. Hebei has reported most of the serious outbreaks in months. It is also feared that events around the Chinese festival of Lunar New Year in February may trigger a relapse and preventive measures look specially aimed to stop that happening.

As of Monday, Hebei had 54 cases reported over the preceding 24 hours. The Jilin province in northern China also reported 30 cases and further north Heilongjiang reported another seven.

Capital Beijing had two new cases. As a further blocking of physical contacts, most of housing compounds now insist on a virus negative certificate for entry into the building.