Chinese cities tighten brakes against widening COVID outbreaks

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BEIJING — Chinese cities from Wuhan in central China to Xining in the northwest are stepping up efforts to fight COVID-19, seal buildings, lock down neighborhoods and throw millions into distress in a race to stop the widening epidemics.

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China on Thursday reported a third straight day of more than 1,000 new COVID cases nationwide, a modest tally from the tens of thousands a day that sent Shanghai into full lockdown earlier this year, but enough to trigger more restrictions and restrictions across the country.

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China’s number of coronavirus cases has remained low by global standards, but its ultra-tight and disruptive containment measures this year against the highly transmissible variant of Omicron have weighed heavily on the world’s second-largest economy and rattled financial markets. .

Guangzhou, China’s fourth-largest city by economic output and the provincial capital of Guangdong, closed more streets and neighborhoods on Thursday and kept people at home as new areas were deemed to be at high risk in a resurgence of COVID that persisted into its fourth week.

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Wuhan, site of the world’s first COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019, has reported around 20 to 25 new infections a day this week. Nevertheless, local authorities have ordered more than 800,000 people in one district to stay at home until October 30.

Wuhan has also suspended the sale of pork in parts of the city, images and social media posts show, after a case of COVID was discovered which authorities said was linked to the local supply chain. in pork.

In Xining, capital of Qinghai province, social media posts reported food shortages and inflation in the price of essentials as health authorities in the city of 2.5 million rushed to contain a COVID rebound after the National Day holiday week in early October.

« To reduce the risk of transmission, some vegetable and fruit shops have been closed and quarantined, » a Xining government official said on Wednesday.

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Other major cities in China, including Zhengzhou, Datong and Xian, implemented new curbs this week to curb local outbreaks.

In Beijing, the Universal Resort theme park was closed on Wednesday after at least one visitor tested positive for coronavirus.

China has repeatedly promised to stick to its zero-tolerance response to COVID-19 and implement what authorities consider necessary measures to contain the virus.