China locks down a city of 4 million over COVID-19 cases

China locks down a city of 4 million over COVID-19 cases

BEIJING: China placed a city of four million people under lockdown yesterday, ordering them not to leave home except in emergencies, in a bid to eradicate a COVID cluster of just a few dozen confirmed cases. Beijing imposed strict border controls after the coronavirus was first detected in China in late 2019, slowing the number of cases to a trickle and allowing the economy to bounce back.

But as the rest of the world opens up and tries to find ways to live with the virus, China has maintained a zero-COVID approach that has seen harsh local lockdowns imposed over handfuls of cases. Yesterday’s fresh restrictions came as China reported 29 new domestic infections – including six in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province in the country’s northwest.

The latest outbreak has been linked to the highly contagious Delta variant, with the tally hitting 198 cases since October 17. Thirty-nine have been in Lanzhou. Residents of the city will now be required to stay at home, authorities said in a statement, with the “entry and exit of residents” strictly controlled and limited to essential supplies or medical treatment. Bus and taxi services had already been stopped in the city, and state media