Volunteers check a resident's nucleic acid test results at a checkpoint on an expressway in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan province, Aug 3, 2021. (XU YANAN / XINHUA)

ZHENGZHOU - The central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, has further tightened epidemic prevention and control measures after a recent resurgence of COVID-19 infections, according to local authorities on Thursday.

The city classified 15 new areas as medium-risk for COVID-19, and began its second round of nucleic acid testing. The sampling process was due to end at 5 pm Friday.

According to the education department, the city's primary school enrollment has been postponed.

All residential communities and villages in the city will implement closed-loop management, urging residents in medium and high-risk areas for COVID-19 to quarantine at home, and calling on people not to leave the city unless necessary

All residential communities and villages in the city will implement closed-loop management, urging residents in medium and high-risk areas for COVID-19 to quarantine at home, and calling on people not to leave the city unless necessary.

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Zhengzhou will also suspend intercity passenger bus services and reduce the frequency of urban bus departures. Taxis and ride-hailing cars are not permitted to enter medium and high-risk areas, and are only allowed to operate in urban areas.

Closed venues such as public bathrooms, beauty salons, entertainment venues, offline training institutions, and nurseries are temporarily closed. Dining in restaurants is also strictly prohibited.

Vice-premier orders swift actions during inspection

Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan ordered the immediate implementation of anti-epidemic measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 as she inspected the virus-hit city.

Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged accelerating investigations into key personnel like close contacts and conducting citywide nucleic acid testing. She said lessons must be drawn from in-hospital infections.

Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan demanded immediate reporting of and quarantine of infected patients, vowing zero tolerance for in-hospital infections

The visit came after attending a teleconference held on Wednesday in Beijing by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19.

READ MORE: Vice-premier stresses strict measures to curb virus resurgence

The vice-premier visited venues including the provincial center for disease control and prevention, a nucleic acid testing site, a residential community and the sixth people's hospital of Zhengzhou, where in-hospital infections have occurred and spread to the rest of the city. 

After learning about the in-hospital infection control and other anti-epidemic measures of the city, Sun demanded immediate reporting of and quarantine of infected patients, vowing zero tolerance for in-hospital infections.

Authorities across the country must further enhance their sense of responsibility amid the recent COVID-19 resurgence in multiple regions, said Sun.

Local Party and government officials should be trained with policies, guidelines and professional knowledge of disease prevention and control, so as to improve their ability of emergency responses, Sun added.

Sun also requested the State Council's joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19 to supervise and inspect the implementation of epidemic prevention and control policies in all regions.

Henan reported 21 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 102 asymptomatic cases from July 31 to Aug 5 in the latest resurgence of COVID-19, the provincial health commission said on Friday.