A series of new COVID-19 cases in China's far northeastern Heilongjiang province is raising concern that a second wave of the virus could emerge in the Asian country.

As China removes lockdowns and the overall number of new countrywide cases remains low, authorities in the province are taking action to prevent the new clusters from spreading out of control.

Since mid-April, several clusters of COVID-19 infection have been reported in Heilongjiang province's major cities. The province now has 386 active cases that have symptoms, and 116 recovered cases. Officials claim all of the currently active cases are "imported," with most of them being Chinese nationals returning from Russia.

Read more: What is life like in post-lockdown Wuhan?

In Mudanjiang City, cases started to emerge after a local hospital took in COVID-19 patients transferred from a small town near the border with Russia.

On April 18, an elderly couple in their 60s tested positive for the virus after transferring hospitals. On the same day, three more asymptomatic cases were reported in Mudanjiang; two patients were medical staff who had treated the couple, and a third patient was a family member. In the end, a total of 14 infections were confirmed in this cluster.

Mudanjiang residents told DW that after this cluster was revealed, local authorities stepped up controls in several neighborhoods. On April 26, Mudanjiang officials issued a statement, asking all residents "not to leave their houses unless it is necessary."

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According to a screenshot of the notification shared with DW, the local government is asking each household to only allow one person "with a stronger immune system" to go shopping for essential items and return immediately.

"Starting on April 27, the government will deploy disciplinary teams on the streets, and any group of more than three people will be detained," the notification read. "Additionally, electric scooters will not be allowed to run on the street."

A new lockdown?

Apart from these rules, cars and individuals from other parts of the province cannot enter Mudanjiang. Only drugstores and licensed supermarkets are permitted to remain open. Garbage trucks and cars with government-issued licenses are the only vehicles permitted to be in traffic.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Pneumonia-like virus hits Wuhan On December 31, 2019, China notifies the World Health Organization of a string of respiratory infections in the city of Wuhan, home to some 11 million people. The root virus is unknown and disease experts around the world begin working to identify it. The strain is traced to a seafood market in the city, which is quickly shut down. Some 40 people are initially reported to be infected.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First death in China On January 11, China announces the first death from the coronavirus — a 61-year-old man, who had shopped at the Wuhan market, dies from complications with pneumonia. Like SARS and the common cold, scientists identified that the new virus is in the coronavirus family. It is temporarily named 2019-nCoV. Symptoms include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Virus reaches neighboring countries In the following days, countries such as Thailand and Japan begin to report cases of infections in people who had visited the same Wuhan market. In China, a second fatality is confirmed in the city. By January 20, three people have died in China and more than 200 are infected.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Millions under lockdown China places Wuhan on quarantine on January 23 in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus. Transportation is suspended and workers attempt to quickly build a new hospital to treat infected patients, which total over 830 by January 24, as the death toll climbs to 26. Officials eventually extend the lockdown to 13 other cities, affecting at least 36 million people.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 A global health emergency? More and more cases are confirmed outside of China, including in South Korea, the US, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. As the number of infections rises, the World Health Organization on January 23 determines that it's "too early" to declare a global public health emergency.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus reaches Europe On January 24, French authorities confirm three cases of the new coronavirus within its borders, marking the disease's first appearance in Europe. Hours later, Australia confirms four people have been infected with the respiratory virus.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First cases confirmed in Germany On January 27, Germany announces its first known case of the virus — a 33-year-old in Bavaria who contracted it during a workplace training with a visiting Chinese colleague. He is put under quarantine and observation at a Munich hospital. The following day, three of his colleagues are confirmed infected. The death toll in China reaches 132, with around 6,000 infected worldwide.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 WHO declares global health emergency On January 30, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) declares coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern in a bid to protect countries with "weaker health systems." However, WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus does not recommend trade and travel restrictions, saying these would be "an unnecessary disruption."

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First death outside China The first death linked to the novel coronavirus outside of China is reported in the Philippines on February 2. A 44-year-old Chinese man had traveled from Wuhan to Manila before falling ill and being taken to hospital, where he later died of pneumonia.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Bad ending to a cruise Also on February 3, the cruise ship Diamond Princess is quarantined off Yokohama in Japan after cases of the new coronavirus were found on board. As of February 17, the number of people infected has grown to more than 450, the largest cluster of cases outside of China. Several of the 3,700 passengers and crew onboard the ship are being or have been flown back to their home countries.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Italy under quarantine Cases in Italy rise dramatically, with 77 deaths and thousands of confirmed cases by March 3. Many countries instigate travel restrictions to northern Italy and tourist numbers plummet. On March 8, the Italian government put the entire Lombardy region into quarantine, affecting 16 million people. March 10 sees 168 fatalities in Italy, the highest in a single day.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Economic woes European and US stock markets slump on March 6, leading to the worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The effect on global business has been significant, with many companies reporting losses and the tourism industry and airlines badly hit. The EU pledge €7.5 billion ($8.4 billion) on March 10 in an investment fund to try to stop the Eurozone falling into a recession.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 WHO declares outbreak as pandemic As worldwide cases top 127,000 and deaths pass 4,700, the World Health Organization designates the global outbreak as a "pandemic" on March 11. US President Donald Trump announces a travel restriction on people coming from the Schengen Zone in Europe, annoying the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that in Germany, 70% of the population could get the virus.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Public life on hold in Europe On March 14, Spain joins Italy in imposing a near-total nationwide lockdown to prevent the virus spreading. The population of 46 million is told not to leave their homes unless for essential tasks. In France, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops are closed as of March 15. Many public events in Germany are cancelled and schools close.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 International travel severely restricted As of March 15, many countries impose strict travel bans or restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. For example, New Zealand and Australia require all international passengers to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in the country. The US extends a European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Germany imposes partial lockdown In a landmark televised address German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces far-reaching restrictions on everyday life on March 22, banning meetings between more than two people not from the same household outside of the workplace. The country has a surprisingly low death rate, a phenomenon attributed to a high level of testing, and a high number of intensive care beds.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Virus strikes at top as UK locks down On March 23rd Britain becomes the latest country to impose restrictions on personal freedoms, with people only allowed to leave their homes in a limited number of circumstances. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is diagnosed with the viruson March 27, as well as heir to the throne Prince Charles on March 25. Meanwhile, there are complaints that not everyone is taking social distancing seriously.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Grim milestone for the US On March 27 the US overtakes China in terms of the number of people infected, making it the country with the most cases of COVID-19. This came as President Donald Trump claimed that the nation would get back to work "pretty quickly." At the same time, it emerged that more than 3 million Americans had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. New York is worst-hit, with a hospital ship sent to help out.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Spain's surging death toll Spain also overtakes China in the number of COVID-19 cases on March 30, as the government toughens the severity of its lockdown. All non-essential activities are halted. Only Italy has a higher death toll than Spain. Most affected is the capital, Madrid. With funeral services overwhelmed, officials turn the Palacio de Hielo ice skating rink into a temporary morgue.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 More than a million On April 2nd the Johns Hopkins University announced on Thursday that there were more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world. The US is the most affected with three times the number than China, where the virus emerged in December. Over 50.000 people have died — and the outlook remains grim.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 UK PM Boris Johnson hospitalized The 55-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at London's St Thomas hospital on Monday evening (6.4.) and was given oxygen treatment after his condition worsened. He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27. Author: Richard Connor



A resident named Huang said that although the city government shares updates regularly, most residents are skeptical about the government's transparency.

"While most residents rely on government data for information about the development of the pandemic, they don't really trust that the data is authentic," Huang told DW. "Some of us try to get information from other channels."

Huang added that he is uncertain about how the government determines its lockdown policy for Mudanjiang. "We never know whether they make such decisions based on political needs or scientific facts," he said.

Capital remains on high alert

The provincial capital, Harbin, has also reported several new COVID-19 infection clusters at hospitals. In one instance, an 87-year-old patient infected 78 others within a few days, forcing the Harbin Second Hospital to close.

Read more: Coronavirus: From bats to pangolins, how do viruses reach us?

However, despite the spike in cases, Harbin didn't roll out aggressive preventative measures like Mudanjiang.

The Harbin resident named Li told DW that neighborhoods now require residents to present a special pass with photo identification.

"While only local residents are allowed to enter their neighborhoods, I don't think the guards are always strictly checking IDs," Li said. "Some local markets are still operating, although almost everyone wears a mask on the street."

Unlike people in Mudanjiang, Li said Harbin residents generally trust government data.

"I think the situation in Harbin is under the government's control, so I choose to trust the numbers released by them," Li said. "To me, it doesn't make sense for the government to fabricate COVID-19 data if the situation is under their control. Doing so would further damage their image."

Read more: After coronavirus, don't write off China as world's factory

An isolated pariah province?

Prejudice from other parts of China against people from the province of more than 38 million is emerging as the number of COVID-19 cases grow.

Watch video 02:57 Share Coronavirus may drive firms out of China Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3bCet Pandemic’s aftermath: COVID-19 may drive firms out of China

Huang from Mudanjiang told DW that more online hate speech is targeting people from Heilongjiang, and he worries that in the near future, people from the province will have to deal with systematic discrimination when they look for employment elsewhere in China.

Huang cited an example of a friend who used to work in Shandong province, and was recently told to postpone returning to work after the employer realized that he is from Heilongjiang.

"He was working from home during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, and when he returned to Shandong province last week, his boss told him to go back to Heilongjiang and stay there until at least June," Huang told DW. "As you can see, discrimination against people from Heilongjiang already exists."