Cluster of infections points to theater in Zhangjiajie

Authorities in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, have ordered the closure of places where people gather in large numbers to curb the spread of COVID-19, after a new locally transmitted case was reported on Thursday.

The shutdowns apply to shopping centers, cinemas, theaters, KTVs and dance halls. The venues should cease business activities, disinfect their premises and organize all their employees to undergo nucleic acid testing, according to the city's headquarters for COVID-19 prevention and control.

Late on Thursday, Shang Shenglong, vice-mayor of Zhangjiajie, announced all scenic spots in the city will be shut from Friday. He urged all visitors to the city to take a nucleic acid test for the virus and not to leave until they had the results.

Zhangjiajie is home to the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular tourist spot, which health authorities suspect is the source of a major COVID-19 cluster.

Three asymptomatic carriers were reported on Monday, and one confirmed case on Tuesday, in Dalian, Liaoning province.

All four had been at the Charm Xiangxi Theater in the Wulingyuan scenic area on July 22, watching a show.

The three asymptomatic carriers flew to Zhangjiajie via Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on July 17. They stayed at Lukou International Airport for around two hours for flight transfer.

Zhangjiajie health authorities said on Wednesday that all audience members who watched the performance from 6 pm to 7 pm are at high risk of coronavirus infection and should report to their residential community or local disease control and prevention centers for immediate testing.

On Wednesday night, the city began nucleic acid testing of all residents of Wulingyuan district, urban area of Yongding district and towns in Cili and Sangzhi counties.

As of 6 pm on Thursday, samples from 226,014 people had been collected, and one of the samples tested positive.

At least 19 people from outside Zhangjiajie－four in Liaoning province, five in Sichuan province, two in Chongqing, two in Beijing, two in Hunan and four in Jiangsu province－have tested positive for COVID-19. All had traveled to Zhangjiajie or have had close contact with people who have returned from the city.

An employee of the Charm Xiangxi Theater told local media that there were about 2,000 people in the audience for the July 22 show. The audience members were not widely separated and were required to wear masks when entering the theater. However, the theater could not guarantee they wore the masks, the employee said.

Sources from Wulingyuan district's disease control and prevention center told news portal The Paper that they have a list of all the people who attended the July 22 performance and are contacting each one to investigate.

The Charm Xiangxi Theater, which can accommodate an audience of around 2,800, has been closed for a week starting on Wednesday. People who bought tickets for the week ahead can get refunds.

Local media Rednet.cn reported that during the summer vacation, the Charm Xiangxi show is usually performed four times a day, with a daily attendance of more than 10,000 people. The total number of tourists who have watched the show so far this year is 890,000.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak in Nanjing, Zhangjiajie administered coronavirus tests to more than 2,900 performers, hotel staff and restaurant workers.

Zhu Youfang in Changsha contributed to this story.