Jan 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong will shut kindergartens and primary schools and start offering COVID-19 vaccines for children from the age of five, the city's leader said on Tuesday, as the financial hub grapples with an increase in coronavirus infections.
While those measures have kept the number of new cases far lower than virus hotspots in the United States and Europe, Beijing is currently battling local flare-ups in multiple cities.

The fast-spreading Omicron strain presents a fresh challenge, with two cases in Anyang - the newly locked down city in Henan province - linked to a growing infection cluster in the northern metropolis of Tianjin, some 400km away.

Authorities in Anyang announced the lockdown last night, issuing a notice ordering residents not to leave their homes or drive cars on the roads, state news agency Xinhua reported.

All non-essential businesses have been closed and a mass-testing drive has been launched "to respond to the severe epidemic control situation and strictly prevent the spread of the Omicron virus outbreak", Xinhua reported.

<>Hong Kong unveils further steps to curb COVID-19 spread, boost vaccinations

 

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