China Imposes Fresh Restrictions as Covid-19 Cases Rise
By Joyu Wang, July 4, 2022. WSJ

China is imposing fresh restrictions in some eastern cities as Covid-19 cases have spiked to near their highest levels in more than a month.

The country recorded 380 locally transmitted coronavirus cases on Sunday, China’s National Health Commission reported on Monday. Two thirds of Monday’s cases came from the eastern province of Anhui, the commission said.

The bulk of those cases stem from a growing cluster in Si County, a busy transit hub of 760,000 residents located in Anhui, according to state-run media, citing local government officials.

Coronavirus case counts in China have jumped almost 10-fold in less than a week. On June 29, China had recorded 39 such cases. By Saturday, nationwide locally transmitted cases had jumped to 385, the biggest tally since May 25.

The latest surge in coronavirus infections comes as cases have dwindled to less than a handful in Shanghai, the epicenter of a widespread outbreak earlier this year that had brought the country’s financial capital to a near standstill and left millions
of people stranded at home.

Under China’s zero-Covid policy, government officials move quickly to shut large parts or an entire city to keep the coronavirus from spreading.

Since the first few cases in Si County were discovered last Sunday, authorities have conducted at least five rounds of citywide testing to sieve out coronavirus carriers. All of the county’s residents have been put under some movement restrictions
since June 29, according to an online government notice.

Public parks, attractions and several indoor businesses in Si County, which links China’s northeast cities with the manufacturing powerhouse of Jiangsu province, have been asked to close, according to a statement on the Anhui government’s official
social-media account. Walk-in customers aren’t allowed in supermarkets, pharmacies and restaurants and only restricted to deliveries, the provincial government said in a WeChat posting.

Local cases are also on the rise in Wuxi, a city known for its vibrant biotechnology industry in neighboring Jiangsu province, about a two-hour drive from Shanghai.

Nearly 200 cases were reported in Jiangsu province over the past week, prompting authorities to impose partial lockdowns on some neighborhoods and conduct citywide testing of its residents. Travelers wouldn’t be allowed to leave Wuxi without first
showing a negative Covid-19 test taken within the last 48 hours, according to a municipal government’s notice.

Further south, the Chinese gambling hub of Macau rolled out a new round of Covid testing for all its residents Monday. The city, which relies on the gambling sector for much of its economic growth and employment, is handling its worst-ever outbreak, with
more than 850 cases added over the past two weeks. Even as the Macau government hasn’t imposed a citywide lockdown, it has banned dining in at restaurants and ordered nonessential government offices, parks and gyms to close.

Other entertainment venues such as karaoke bars and movie theaters have also been ordered shut, according to a statement on the Macau government’s website. The city’s more than 40 casinos have been allowed to continue operations, Macau Chief
Executive Ho Iat-seng said late last month, adding that shutting down all casinos “would affect many employees.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-imposes-fresh-restrictions-as-covid-19-cases-rise-11656943127

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