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The Chinese port city of Tianjin is aiming to test its 14 million residents within the next 48 hours after the discovery of a cluster of Covid cases. Residents have been advised to stay home until tested, and must return a negative result to get the health pass needed to use public transport. Of the 20 cases discovered, two are the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Emily Feng, the NPR correspondent in Beijing, says that mass testing is being planned in an attempt to contain the spread of Omicron, and that there are additional lockdowns in two other cities. She goes on to say that questions are being raised as to the economic viability of future lockdowns as local governments have to take on the financial burdens of these and the test and trace processes. In China, there are no plans to adopt a 'live with Covid' policy at the moment, only a zero-Covid strategy, but with the Chinese New Year and the Beijing Olympics coming up, there are fears that Omicron, with its rapid transmissibility, will spread more widely.

Photo: A worker disinfects the ground as residents wait to undergo a Covid-19 test in Tianjin, China Credit: EPA