China fears mount over Covid-19 cases from overseas

Beauty amid worry: A woman wearing a face mask walking through the tourist spot Duomo Square in Milan, Italy. — Reuters

Beijing: A month of containment measures to halt the spread of the deadly Covid-19 epidemic in China seems to be working, but the rise of overseas cases means the country is now facing a fresh challenge – keeping it out.

News of the discovery of infection in someone who had travelled from Iran has exploded on social media and raised fears that efforts to lock down millions of people in the mainland might have been in vain.China is now exploring the possibility of adopting “targeted prevention and control measures” for people arriving from abroad, the foreign ministry said, while those landing in the Chinese capital from countries hit by the epidemic will have to self-quarantine.