BEIJING (Reuters). Several border cities of northeastern China tightened COVID-19 restrictions, restricting travel and limiting public gatherings. Some declared a pre-war mode of vigilance as China battles an epidemic mainly in the north.

China had 23 cases of locally transmitted symptoms for Wednesday according to official data. That’s down from 50 one day earlier. It brings the total to 270 since October 17, when this current epidemic began.

The tally may be small in comparison to many other Chinese clusters, but the expansion to more than a dozen provinces and the zero-tolerance policies have forced local officials into tightening restrictions.

Heihe, a city in northeastern Heilongjiang, shares a border to Russia. Heihe also detected three confirmed cases and one asymptomatic case. China separates these from confirmed patients for October 27.

A city of 1.3million demanded that manufacturing and other business activities in urban areas be suspended, with the exception of essential.

It prohibited people and their vehicles from entering those urban areas and stopped entry to the area for non-essential purposes via public roads. Bus and taxi services were also stopped.

Local media reported Wednesday that flights from and to the city were cancelled as well as some train services.

The origin of Heihe’s cluster is unknown. It is also unclear if any infected are linked to other outbreaks.

Graphic: Northern Chinese cities grappling with local COVID-19 infections since mid-October https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/CHINA/gkplgxygmvb/chart.png

“EXTREME CAUTIONS”

China’s high level of vaccination would allow it in principle to switch to an endemic strategy that is less disruptive, stated Julian Evans-Pritchard senior China economist at Capital Economics.

As of Oct. 23rd, 76% have been given complete doses.

“But extreme care must prevail,” he stated. “Any shift appears unlikely until at most after February’s Winter Olympics.”

Jiamusi, also located on the Heilongjiang–Russia border has not yet reported local cases from the latest epidemic, but it said that they will remain on alert for one week up to Nov. 3.

The law required tourists to be barred from Jiamusi’s tourist areas, required a decrease in crowds, and prohibited visits to senior homes or mental health centers.

Jixi, and Mudanjiang are two other Heilongjiang cities that have pledged to join a pre-war regime of stringent surveillance and vigilant vigilance. Local infections, however, have not been reported in the past week.

Smaller border communities in northwestern China and southwestern China are at greater risk from infections brought in from abroad. They have also suffered severe disruptions in China’s attempts to eradicate the disease.