SHANGHAI: Authorities in China’s southwestern province of Yunnan reported three locally transmitted coronavirus cases for Monday (Jul 5), with all cases from the city of Ruili bordering Myanmar, according to Yunnan provincial authorities on Tuesday.
Yunnan province had reported three locally transmitted coronavirus cases the previous day as well, and is preventing individuals from leaving or entering Ruili city without special permission beginning from Jul 5.
The last outbreak of local cases in China was in the southern Guangdong province in mid-June.
Ruili is a major crossing point from Muse in neighbouring Myanmar, which has seen escalating unrest since a Feb 1 military coup, raising fears that people will try to flood across the border into China to escape the violence.
China closed the main bridge and crossing to Myanmar in March as cases surged across the border.
Authorities have also increased patrols in recent months to prevent illegal border crossings and cracked down on human trafficking to prevent an influx of refugees.
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