China has blocked 1.7 million people in central Anhui province, and authorities reported on Monday nearly 300 new cases in a series of up-to-date incidents testing Beijing’s intolerance approach to Covid-19.
The country is the last major economy to stick to the Zero Corona strategy, with strict quarantine orders and rigorous test campaigns to cover all cases.
The outbreak in Anhui was where authorities first discovered hundreds of cases last week, and the Chinese economy began to recover from months of blockades in Shanghai and devastating Covid regulations in the capital Beijing. It happens sometimes.
Two counties in the state (Sixian and Lingbi) announced a blockade last week, allowing them to leave their homes only if more than 1.7 million residents have been inspected.
Video from the state-run CCTV shows a vacant street in the Sixian dialect over the weekend, and people are lined up for the recent sixth mass test.
According to the China National Health Commission, the state reported 287 new infections on Monday, of which 258 were asymptomatic and the total number of cases found was just over 1,000.
In a statement released by the Anhui provincial government on Monday, Governor Wang Qingsen called on local governments to “seize every minute and carry out prompt screening seriously,” as well as prompt quarantine and report of the incident. rice field.
Adjacent Jiangsu Province also reported 56 new local infections in four cities on Monday.
Although the number of cases remains small compared to China’s huge population, authorities point out the uneven distribution of medical resources and low vaccination rates for the elderly, arguing that a zero-corona policy is needed to prevent medical disasters. doing.
However, this strategy has hit the world’s second-largest economy, causing rare protests in countries where tight enforcement is tightly controlled.
China’s international isolation has also urged some foreign businesses and families with economic resources to make exit plans.
National officials last month announced relaxation of quarantine requirements for international arrivals, rallying most Asian markets as investors hoped the move would boost Beijing’s Covid slump.
However, health official Lei Zhenglong argued that the new quarantine policy “never loosens the prevention and control of (Covid).”
