China has locked down a city of 11 million people in its northern province of Hebei, in order to contain the country’s worst coronavirus flare-up in months.
Residents of Shijiazhuang, a provincial capital close to Beijing, have been barred from leaving the city, as major highways were blocked, train and bus stations closed and flights canceled.
The lockdown comes as a total of 117 Covid-19 infections including 67 asymptomatic cases were detected in Shijiazhuang on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Shijiazhuang identified another 66 positive cases, according to the Hebei provincial health commission.
Since January 2, a total of 304 positive cases have been reported in Hebei, most of which were in Shijiazhuang, official figures show.
At a press conference Thursday night, municipal officials announced a ban on outbound travel for all residents and vehicles from Shijiazhuang, except for emergencies.
Within the city, gatherings are banned, all schools have been suspended, and residential…
Source: Linda Ikeji
