China is fighting its largest COVID-19 outbreak, which is caused by the highly infectious Delta variant, with some areas banning people from a northeastern city where infections have spread faster than elsewhere in the country in the last week. 

Between October 17 and November 14, a total of 1,308 domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms were reported on the mainland, surpassing the 1,280 local cases reported during the summer Delta outbreak, according to Reuters calculations based on official data.

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This is the largest Delta outbreak in China’s history, affecting 21 provinces, regions, and municipalities. Although it is smaller than many other outbreaks in other countries, Chinese authorities are eager to stop the spread of the virus as part of the government’s zero-tolerance policy. 

A dozen province-level regions were able to contain their flare-ups in a matter of weeks thanks to the swift implementation of a complex set of controls, which included rigorous contact tracing, multiple rounds of testing of people in high-risk areas, the closure of entertainment and cultural venues, and restrictions on tourism and public transportation.

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The northeastern city of Dalian, on the other hand, is fighting the virus, according to Wu Liangyou, a National Health Commission official, who spoke at a Saturday news conference. 

According to a Reuters calculation, since the first local symptomatic patients from the latest outbreak were reported on Nov. 4, Dalian, a city of 7.5 million people, has detected an average of about 24 new local cases per day, more than any other Chinese city. 

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People arriving from Dalian were quarantined at centralised facilities for 14 days before being allowed to move freely in a few cities near Dalian, including Dandong, Anshan, and Shenyang.

Mainland China had reported 98,315 confirmed coronavirus cases with symptoms as of November 14, including both domestically transmitted and international infections. A total of 4,636 people have died.