Ahead of a significant Communist Party conference in Beijing the next week, Chinese localities were enforcing further lockdowns and travel restrictions after the number of new daily Covid-19 cases tripled over a weeklong break. After a preliminary positive case was discovered in citywide testing the day before, the most recent lockdown began on Monday in Fenyang city in northern China’s Shanxi province, according to official broadcaster CCTV.
The capital of the neighbouring Inner Mongolia region, Hohhot, made the announcement that outside cars and passengers would no longer be allowed to enter the city as of Tuesday. Over the course of around 12 days, Hohhot has reported more than 2,000 instances. One of the few nations in the world currently using severe measures to prevent the spread of the illness is China.
In the lead-up to its once every five years party congress, which begins on Sunday, the long-reigning Communist Party is especially worried as it works to project a favourable picture of the country. Travel decreased over the annual National Day holiday, which started on October 1, as officials urged citizens to stay in their towns and provinces. However, from 600 at the beginning of the break, there are now around 1,800 new instances reported per day.
The rigorous ‘zero-Covid’ strategy has had a negative economic impact, especially for small firms and temporary workers, but leaders don’t want a huge epidemic to cast a shadow over the congress. After the summit, many people in China anticipate the pandemic policy to loosen. There have been outbreaks reported all throughout the country, with the biggest clusters being in Inner Mongolia and the remote Xinjiang area. Each has been keeping track of several hundred new instances every day.
There have been a few but increasing examples in Beijing and Shanghai, where locals earlier this year were subjected to protracted lockdowns. Last Monday, the shutdown of theatres and other entertainment establishments was announced in two Shanghai districts. For many Chinese, waiting in line for free virus tests on a regular basis has become the norm. In Beijing and other Chinese cities, entry to parks, offices, stores, and other public venues requires a negative test result within 72 hours.
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