Rebelote. China has put 1.7 million people under containment in Anhui province, in the east of China. This is in response to a resurgence in the Covid epidemic in some regions. China is taking a firm stance against the virus with massive screening campaigns, mandatory quarantines, and confinements as soon a few cases are reported.
This new epidemic in Anhui occurs at a time when China's economy is slowly recovering after the Shanghai containment, which was lifted in July. After an increase in Omicron-related infections, the economic capital of China (25,000,000 inhabitants) was closed for several months.
Lingbi and Sixian, two counties in Anhui Province have announced lockdowns that will affect more than 1.7million people. They cannot leave their homes in order to be tested. CCTV, a public broadcaster, broadcast footage of Sixian's empty streets over the weekend. Residents waited in line for their sixth PCR test within days.
Monday's report by the Health Ministry in Anhui included 287 new positive cases. This brings the total for the province to over 1,000. Wang Qingxian, the provincial governor, urged authorities to implement rapid testing and quarantine as well as reporting cases immediately. Jiangsu, a neighboring province, also reported 56 cases in four cities Monday.
Images circulated on social media and verified AFP by AFP show hundreds waiting in line in Wuxi (a city in Jiangsu), in protective suits. They are waiting to board buses to get to quarantine centers.
China has a very low number of cases compared to other countries. The authorities are determined to stop the spread of the virus through targeted confinements, massive screenings and long quarantines. This is due to limited medical resources and low vaccination rates among the elderly. This zero Covid strategy is a significant burden on the Asian giant's economy.
Recent changes by authorities include a reduction in quarantine time for arrivals in China to ten days. It was originally 21 days.
