Angry tourists were filmed in China confronting armed guards in gas suits after an entire airport was shut down. Officers armed with guns and shields moved out to repel the crowd blocked by the closure of Xishuangbanna airport in Yunnan province. The blockade was introduced after 61 Covid infections were reported in the area as of Wednesday morning. “I spent 8,000 RMB for a 2-hour tour of Xishuangbanna Airport, I’m really speechless,” a user commented on Chinese social media platform Weibo after his flight was suspended. Authorities are scrambling to keep infections under control as political tensions mount ahead of the Party Congress, a gathering of party elites due to take place in mid-October. The period leading up to Congress, the most important event in China’s political calendar, is a particularly delicate moment. President Xi Jinping is expected to secure a third term at the summit. The President has made “Covid Zero” a cornerstone of his leadership, a policy that has seen entire cities shut down under strict lockdowns for months in a bid to completely eradicate infections. The fear is that the strict Covid restrictions could become more widespread. China has reported a total of 273 cases as of Wednesday morning. According to state media, the outbreaks have spread to 27 provinces. The recent spike in infections, which coincides with a national holiday, has raised concerns that tighter limits could be introduced before the party congress to avoid political embarrassment in Xi. Many areas across the country have taken steps to step up measures following recent Covid outbreaks, with residents barred from leaving Xinjiang on Wednesday, just weeks after the region began easing restrictions after a long lockout . The region, home to 22 million people, reported 38 new asymptomatic cases of Covid on Tuesday. At the airport of Ürümqi, the capital of the region, 97% of departing and 95% of arriving flights were canceled on Wednesday. All departing trains and buses have also been suspended until further notice, and it is believed hundreds of citizens who traveled on the National Day could be blocked by the new restrictions.
06/10/2022 00:47