Tianjin testing all residents after omicron found

Tianjin, a major Chinese port city near the capital Beijing, began the mass testing of its 14 million residents on Sunday after a cluster of 20 children and adults tested positive for COVID-19. At least two people have tested positive for the highly transmissible omicron variant.

The citywide testing is to be completed over two days. China has stepped up its zero tolerance COVID-19 strategy in the run-up to the Winter Olympics, which open Feb. 4 in Beijing.   The Chinese capital is 115 kilometers northwest of Tianjin and is connected by a high-speed rail link.

Millions of people are being confined to their homes in Xi'an and Yuzhou, two other cities that are further away but have larger outbreaks.   The city of Zhengzhou, a provincial capital 70 kilometers north of Yuzhou, is also conducting mass testing and closing schools.