Wuhan panics as a million pushed back into world's strictest lockdown as Covid resurfaces

Wuhan temporarily shut down some businesses and public transportation in a neighborhood on Wednesday, as the city where the pandemic first emerged aroused vigilance after several new infections

A resident undergoes a nucleic acid test for the coronavirus in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province (

Image: AFP via Getty Images

Panic has once again gripped China's Wuhan region as one million people enter the world's strictest lockdown after Covid resurgence,

Wuhan temporarily closed some businesses and public transportation in a neighborhood on Wednesday, as the city where the pandemic first emerged aroused vigilance after several new infections.

China, heavily invested in its “dynamic COVID zero” policy, is relying on mass testing, rapid restriction of business activity and people’s movement, and strict quarantine of cases to prevent the outbreak. expansion of nascent clusters.

The strategy has helped Wuhan and other parts of the country control the number of cases, but severe lockdowns during major outbreaks and fear of potential repeat curbs whenever new cases are reported have hurt the economy, business confidence and the public. willingness to travel.

Jiangxia District in Wuhan, with more than 900,000 residents, said its major urban areas were to enter a three-day restriction from Wednesday, during which it will ban many large group events and meals in restaurants, will close various public entertainment venues, agricultural produce markets and small clinics and suspend bus and metro services.

A medical worker takes samples during a mass Covid-19 test in a residential block in Wuhan (

Picture:

Getty Images)

He also urged residents not to leave the area for three days and encouraged travelers to avoid entering.

The order came quickly after Jiangxia authorities said Tuesday night that they had detected two cases during regular testing and f...