The northern Chinese province of Hebei is reporting a surge of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. From Jan. 2 through Jan. 15, Hebei reported 523 confirmed locally transmitted cases and 320 asymptomatic cases. On Thursday alone, the province reported 90 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and nine locally transmitted asymptomatic cases, with the bulk of the new confirmed cases (84) being in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang. Medical workers from other parts of China have been sent to Hebei to offer front-line assistance, while thousands of prefabricated rooms were being constructed in Shijiazhuang’s Gaocheng district, a high-risk area of infection. In related news, Chinese health authorities say vaccinations for the general public against COVID-19 are expected to start around Spring Festival, which begins on Feb 12. China began mass vaccination of prioritized personnel on Dec 15 with an inactivated vaccine developed by State-owned Sinopharm Group. By Saturday, China had admin