Anhui calls for unity against 'severe' outbreak

Anhui province reported 81 locally transmitted confirmed cases and 141 local asymptomatic carriers for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the provincial Health Commission said on Wednesday morning.

All the new confirmed cases were found in Suzhou, with 75 identified in Sixian county and six in Lingbi county.

"Since June 26, Sixian has been suffering from its most severe epidemic challenges from the Omicron variant," a public letter to residents from the county's Party committee and government said on Wednesday.

The risk of further transmission is generally controllable, as the daily infections of community transmission seem to be declining, it said.

From June 26 to July 5, Sixian reported 218 confirmed cases and 847 asymptomatic carriers.

The letter called for more united efforts to control the epidemic.

In another letter to the public, this one issued on Tuesday, the Suzhou Charity Federation called for cash donations and medical supplies, such as masks, protective gowns and sanitizers.