China: Harrowing spike in Omicron cases forces authorities to clamp lockdown in Anyang

China clamped lockdown in the multimillion city of Anyang of Henan province, amid the emergence of the Omicron COVID-19 variant cases in the city, according to media reports.

Sputnik News Agency reported that in Anyang, with the population exceeding five million people, the residents are prohibited from leaving their homes, according to a statement published late on Monday by the city's centre for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the media outlet, the city has also introduced a traffic ban, except for special-purpose transport.

On Sunday, two local cases of the Omicron infection were detected in the city. This is the second city in China to announce cases of infection with the new COVID-19 strain, according to Sputnik.

On December 13, 2021 health authorities in Tianjin reported the first case of the Omicron infection in mainland China. Previously, Hong Kong and Taiwan reported cases of infection with the Omicron variant, the media outlet said.

Meanwhile, China has reported its first community spread Omicron cases, with two people confirmed with the coronavirus variant in Tianjin city, a Singapore-based newspaper The Strait Times stated citing local media reports.

Port city Tianjin has begun mass-testing its 14 million residents following its first community-spread Omicron cases on January 9.

( With inputs from ANI )