China locks down city of four million over Covid cases
BEIJING: China placed a city of four million under lockdown yesterday in a bid to stamp out a domestic coronavirus spike, with residents told not to leave home except in emergencies.
Beijing imposed strict border controls a er the virus was first detected in China in late 2019, slowing the number of cases to a trickle and allowing the economy to bounce back.
But it has stamped down hard on any local outbreaks and Tuesday’s fresh restrictions came as China reported 29 new domestic infections — including six cases in Lanzhou, the provincial capital of northwestern province Gansu.
Residents of Lanzhou will be required to stay at home, authorities said in a statement.
Officials added the ‘entry and exit of residents’ would be strictly controlled and limited to essential supplies or medical treatment.
China’s latest outbreak has been linked to the contagious Delta variant, with the tally from the latest spread hi ing 198 cases since Oct 17. Health officials have warned that more infections may emerge as testing is ramped up in the coming days to fight the outbreak, which has been linked to a group of domestic tourists.
Strict stay-at-home orders have already been imposed on tens of thousands of people in northern China.
In Beijing — which reported three new cases yesterday — access to tourist sites has been limited and residents advised not to leave the city unless necessary.
Several housing compounds in the capital have also been locked down, and organisers on Sunday indefinitely postponed a marathon at which 30,000 runners were expected.
While the country’s case numbers are extremely low compared with elsewhere in the world, China has pursued a zerocase strategy throughout the pandemic.
Authorities are also determined to stamp out the latest outbreak with the Winter Olympics just over 100 days away.