The city of Yuzhou in China’s central province of Henan has been locked down after three new COVID-19 cases were reported.
All three cases were of asymptomatic patients. However, Beijing’s “Zero COVID” policy means even these are taken seriously, especially with the Winter Olympics due in just four weeks. As a result, the entire city of 1.1 million has been locked down.
Yuzhou is located 700km from Beijing. Local Communist Party authorities have ordered all residents to remain indoors and not to leave the town. The curbs are similar to those imposed in the Xi’an two weeks back.
Xi’an has paid the price for the restrictions, according to a new report, with residents unable to procure adequate supplies of food. A much larger city of 13 million, it has has faced restrictions since December 23. While authorities say they have enough food, healthcare and necessities for everyone, social media posts point to frustration and difficulties faced by residents.
“Can't leave the building and it's getting more and more difficult to buy food online,” said one Xi'an resident, who posted on the social media platform Weibo under the name Mu Qingyuani Sayno, AP reported.
Officials defend the measures as appropriate and necessary, and with the Beijing Winter Olympics just a month away, are under intense pressure to stem the outbreak.
China's zero COVID-19" policy includes widespread testing and mask mandates, credited by the government with preventing major outbreaks.
Xi'an has seen more than 1,600 cases in its latest surge of the delta variant that is less infectious than the newer omicron strain. China has reported a total of 102,841 cases and 4,636 deaths since the pandemic began.
While those numbers are relatively small compared to the U.S. and other countries, they do show the persistence of the virus despite the sometimes draconian measures taken by China.
The country's Commerce Ministry last week said it had contacted nearby provinces to help ensure adequate supplies of everyday necessities for Xi'an. State media reports say at least some residents are receiving free grocery packages, including eggs, rice, green vegetables and either chicken or pork. Residents can also order online.
That came after city authorities tightened restrictions that had allowed people to leave their homes every other day to buy necessities. Travel to and from the city has been suspended, although there are some exceptions and rules have been relaxed slightly in some districts that have few or no cases.
A third round of mass testing has also been ordered, with the city capable of swabbing 10 million people in just seven hours and processing up to 3 millions results in just 12 hours, according to state media.
With inputs from agencies
