Several million people were confined in Chengdu, southwestern China, on Friday, after a limited epidemic rebound that has paralysed one of the largest cities in the country.
China continues to follow a strict “zero-Covid” health strategy despite a much lower number of contaminations than the rest of the world. This policy translates into confinements as soon as positive cases appear, almost compulsory PCR tests every 72, 48 or even 24 hours, quarantine placements but also the closure of factories and businesses.
Chengdu, which has a population of 21 million, reported 150 new Covid cases on Friday. To stop the contamination, the authorities have launched a general screening of the population and, since Thursday, have ordered residents to “stay at home” until further notice.
Each household is nevertheless authorised to send one person outside each day to buy groceries – subject to the presentation of a PCR test dating back less than 24 hours.
China has been confronted in recent weeks with an epidemic rebound that is limited in terms of the number of cases but now affects many of the country’s provinces.
In Shenzhen (south), a large metropolis bordering Hong Kong, the authorities announced restrictions in several districts on Thursday, sparking a rush on food delivery apps.
