New, highly contagious Omicron variant BF.7 – dubbed the 'Omicron Spawn,' like some kind of Marvel supervillain – is currently sweeping through Chinese provinces at a rather alarming rate.
First detected in Northwest China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region – you might have noticed case numbers there ballooning (see 'China COVID hot spots' below) – it has subsequently found its way to Yantai in North China's Shandong Province, as well as Shenzhen and Shaoguan in South China's Guangdong Province.
BF.7 is short for BA.5.2.1.7, and is a 'spawn' of the Omicron variant strain BA.5. Compared with BA.5, BF.7 has enhanced immunity evasion, faster transmission rates and stronger infectivity. In other words, it lives up to its supervillain moniker.
Not exactly what the China doctor ordered right now. Especially coupled with...
'China Must Stick With Dynamic-Zero COVID'
If you hadn't already heard, an article entitled ‘Dynamic-Zero COVID is Sustainable and Must Be Upheld’ was published yesterday, Tuesday, October 11, in state media People’s Daily.
The emotive title (we won't say what intense feelings it aroused) is pretty self explanatory – click the link below for further details...
READ MORE: ‘China Must Stick With Dynamic-Zero COVID’ – People’s Daily
China COVID hot spots...
Looking to get out of town?
Below is a list of places that reported 10 or more COVID-19 cases yesterday – locally transmitted and asymptomatic combined – that you may wish to avoid:
511 Inner Mongolia
441 Xinjiang
135 Shanxi
58 Henan
54 Guangdong
52 Yunnan
47 Liaoning
47 Ningxia
47 Sichuan
44 Chongqing
40 Gansu
38 Shanghai
35 Shaanxi
29 Hunan
26 Anhui
25 Jiangsu
24 Tibet
22 Shandong
21 Anhui
19 Heilongjiang
17 Hebei
11 Beijing
10 Jilin
We hope that helps you make good your escape!
Looking for travel options?
Here are four great travel options that it's not too late to book:
READ MORE: 4 Amazing Trips to Take Around China This Fall
[Cover image via NIAID-RML]
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