China imposes COVID-19 lockdown on Beijing
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Millions of people in areas surrounding the Chinese capital were ordered into lockdown on Tuesday as authorities stepped up efforts to contain Covid-19 ahead of a key meeting of the ruling Communist Party this year.
Nearly four million people in Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, have been ordered to stay at home until the end of the week as authorities race to curb a small surge of the virus.
And more than 13 million people in the nearby port city of Tianjin are due to undergo mass testing from 6 a.m. (2200 GMT), after 51 mostly mild cases were reported.< /p>
China is the only major global economy sticking to a zero Covid policy, and lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing have disrupted businesses and stunted growth.
Beijing has doubled down on policy ahead of the Communist Party's 20th National Congress, which is expected to take place within the next three months.
Managing the pandemic is widely seen as central to the political legacy of President Xi Jinping, who is expected to be nominated for an unprecedented third term at the meeting.
But “the actual Covid situation in China may worsen as Omicron has once again spread to major cities,” Nomura analyst Ting Lu warned in a research note.
Chengdu, the largest city in western China, has also been placed under strict travel restrictions.
And in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, two districts are partially locked down, while the world's largest electronics market in Huaqiangbei has closed, despite only 35 daily cases reported in the city of more than 18 million people. 'inhabitants.
“The closure notice came abruptly, we only had a few hours to put our stock in warehouses and lock it up,” a trader at the Huaqiangbei technology market told AFP, who only offered than his surname Chen.
In Futian, where the city government is located, cinemas, karaoke bars and parks are closed until Friday and major public events have been canceled.
Authorities have also cordoned off the Wanxia district on the outskirts of the city, which provides affordable housing for delivery drivers and migrant workers, although no cases have been reported there.
AFP
Please share this story:
Millions of people in areas surrounding the Chinese capital were ordered into lockdown on Tuesday as authorities stepped up efforts to contain Covid-19 ahead of a key meeting of the ruling Communist Party this year.
Nearly four million people in Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, have been ordered to stay at home until the end of the week as authorities race to curb a small surge of the virus.
And more than 13 million people in the nearby port city of Tianjin are due to undergo mass testing from 6 a.m. (2200 GMT), after 51 mostly mild cases were reported.< /p>
China is the only major global economy sticking to a zero Covid policy, and lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing have disrupted businesses and stunted growth.
Beijing has doubled down on policy ahead of the Communist Party's 20th National Congress, which is expected to take place within the next three months.
Managing the pandemic is widely seen as central to the political legacy of President Xi Jinping, who is expected to be nominated for an unprecedented third term at the meeting.
But “the actual Covid situation in China may worsen as Omicron has once again spread to major cities,” Nomura analyst Ting Lu warned in a research note.
Chengdu, the largest city in western China, has also been placed under strict travel restrictions.
And in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, two districts are partially locked down, while the world's largest electronics market in Huaqiangbei has closed, despite only 35 daily cases reported in the city of more than 18 million people. 'inhabitants.
“The closure notice came abruptly, we only had a few hours to put our stock in warehouses and lock it up,” a trader at the Huaqiangbei technology market told AFP, who only offered than his surname Chen.
In Futian, where the city government is located, cinemas, karaoke bars and parks are closed until Friday and major public events have been canceled.
Authorities have also cordoned off the Wanxia district on the outskirts of the city, which provides affordable housing for delivery drivers and migrant workers, although no cases have been reported there.
AFP
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