Chinese Authorities Urgently Deploy Vaccines in Sichuan Province Amid Local Infections

Vaccination of 2 Million Priority Recipients Completed by Year-End, Medication for Vulnerable Groups Starting Early Next Year
Chengdu Reports First Local Infection Since March... Village Locked Down Due to Confirmed Cases

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Chinese health authorities have decided to urgently administer COVID-19 vaccines in Sichuan Province.

Following the occurrence of local COVID-19 infections in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, they decided to expedite vaccine administration.

China's state-run Global Times reported on the 9th that emergency vaccination has begun in Sichuan Province, where local COVID-19 infections occurred, with plans to complete vaccinations by the end of this year. The media stated that 2 million people, including medical staff, overseas workers, and teachers, will be prioritized for vaccination.

After vaccinating the initial target groups, vaccinations for vulnerable groups such as the elderly will begin early next year, and general public vaccinations will start around the Lunar New Year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Ruan Longxing, Deputy Director of the Chengdu Health Department's Epidemic Prevention Team, said, "If the vaccination rate reaches over 80%, the virus will not spread again."

The media added that the vaccine used in Sichuan Province is the same as the one previously used for emergency vaccination in Zhejiang Province.

The first confirmed case in Chengdu was reported on the morning of the 7th. After a woman in her 60s residing in Chengdu tested positive, her granddaughter and other villagers in the same community were also confirmed positive. This is the first local infection in Chengdu in over nine months since March.

The Chengdu health authorities are conducting nucleic acid tests on about 24,000 villagers, including close contacts, to prevent further spread. The village where the confirmed cases were found and the hospitals visited have been locked down. Additionally, schools and kindergartens, considered high-risk areas for infection, have been closed. The Global Times reported that the infection route of the first confirmed case in Chengdu has not yet been identified.

Meanwhile, in Shanghai, where eight confirmed cases were reported last month mainly among workers at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, no new cases have been reported for 14 consecutive days, leading to the removal of the COVID-19 medium-risk area designation on the 8th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.