China has placed strict COVID-19 restrictions on 65 million citizens and is discouraging domestic travel during upcoming national holidays.
According to the report, outbreaks have been reported in 103 cities, the most since the pandemic’s early days in early 2020. A total of 33 cities across the country, including seven provincial capitals, are under full or partial lockdown, affecting more than 65 million people, according to the Associated Press.
The National Health Commission reported Monday that China recorded 1,552 new cases in the previous 24-hour period, a relatively small number compared to the country’s 1.4-billion-person population.
Despite the proportionally low number of infections, authorities have followed a “zero-COVID” policy that requires lockdowns, quarantines, and the confinement of anyone suspected of being in close contact with any confirmed case.
Most of the 21 million people in the city of Chengdu are confined to their apartments or residential complexes.
In the eastern port city of Tianjin, classes have been moved online after 14 new cases were identified, all but two showing no symptoms, AP reported.
Chengdu lifted the lockdown in Qionglai city and Xinjin district, two areas located southwest of Chengdu that are under its control. Three more rounds of mass testing are scheduled through Wednesday, and schools are still closed, with all classes being held online.
China’s mid-autumn festival, which takes place from September 10 to 12, is the country’s second-most important holiday after the Lunar New Year.
The anti-virus measures have significantly impacted the economy, travel, and society. Still, China’s ruling Communist Party maintains that they are necessary to prevent the virus from spreading further, according to the AP.
Since the outbreak began, China has placed millions of people under strict lockdowns intermittently, at times preventing residents from obtaining food, health care, and necessities, AP reported. In the spring, a more than five-week closure of Shanghai, China’s largest city and key financial hub, upended the local economy, sparked protests, and resulted in an exodus of foreign residents.