China has evacuated 1.7 million people to safety in Anhui province (east), where around 300 new cases of Covid were reported on Monday amid a resurgence in the epidemic in certain regions.
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The Asian giant is taking a firm stance on the virus, with big screening campaigns, mandatory quarantines and restrictions as soon as some cases emerge.
The renewed epidemic in Anhui comes as the Chinese economy is slowly recovering from the Shanghai containment, which was lifted after several months in early July.
Two municipalities in the province, Sixian and Lingbi, have announced lockdowns affecting more than 1.7 million people. They can only leave their homes to get tested.
Public broadcaster CCTV broadcast footage of empty streets in Sixian over the weekend as locals queued up to take their sixth PCR test in days.
The Health Ministry on Monday reported 287 new positive cases for Anhui, bringing the total to more than 1,000 for the province in recent days.
Provincial governor Wang Qingxian urged authorities to conduct “rapid testing” as well as quarantine and report cases as soon as possible.
The neighboring province of Jiangsu also reported 56 new cases in four cities on Monday.
Photos circulating on social media, verified by AFP, show hundreds of people in hazmat suits queuing in Wuxi, a city in Jiangsu. They appear to be waiting to board buses to reach the quarantine centers.
Some photos show babies in blue protective clothing, carried on the shoulders of people lugging suitcases, waiting outside a hospital in the sweltering heat. Temperatures in Wuxi have reached 36 degrees in the past few days.
The number of cases in China remains very low compared to most other countries.
However, authorities intend to limit the spread of the virus as much as possible due to limited medical resources in certain locations and relatively low vaccination coverage among the elderly.
However, this strategy weighs heavily on the Asian giant’s economy.
The only notable relaxation of the authorities in recent weeks: The quarantine on arrival in China is now reduced to 10 days, compared to at least 21.