More Chinese cities to join lockdown in solidarity with Covid Zero policy
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Beijing: Several more cities in China are getting ready to impose lockdowns in solidarity with the Covid Zero Policy to show loyalty to President Xi Jinping.
According to local media, 33 cities are already under partial or full lockdowns and many more are likely to join the list in the upcoming weeks. Experts think that a large-scale epidemic can damage the Chinese Communist Party's image, reported CNN.
President Xi Jinping is hoping to go for a third term. Authorities are taking all possible measures and mobilising all available resources to "stamp out the pandemic," reported HKP.
The government imposed a lockdown in the city of Chengdu, the capital of southwestern Sichuan province on September 1. The city has a population of 21 million. On Thursday, a spike in Covid-19 cases was reported.
Yang Xiaoguang, director of the health commission in Chengdu, said that the spread of this round of epidemic is fast, with the much-hidden transmission, scattered cases, and a wide range of risk places. "The epidemic situation in the whole city is extremely complex and severe," reported state-run Global Times.
In Shenzhen, officials ordered the City Centre to close, suspend the subway, and stop bus services in the area. Residents were asked to remain at home and 90% of them had to undergo Covid testing, reported ANI.
As per the new restrictions, only one person from a family is allowed to go out every day for groceries. Those who go out must have a negative PCR test done within the past 24 hours. People are not allowed to leave the city without urgent reasons.
Cities crucial to trade - Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Dalian - are also imposing strict rules to curb the spread of Covid-19. These cities account for 7.5% of the country's GDP.