Hundreds of thousands of residents of a small Chinese town have been in lockdown since Tuesday due to a single corona case. According to Wugang authorities, the approximately 320,000 residents will not be allowed to leave their homes until Thursday afternoon and may only travel in emergencies with official approval.
Located in Henan Province, the city is the headquarters of one of the largest Chinese steel companies, Wuyang Iron & Steel Co. According to the US financial agency Bloomberg, the company exports to the US, Japan and other western industrialized countries, among others.
Authorities in the nearby town of Zhumadian announced a similar three-day lockdown in the city center on Tuesday after two people there tested positive for the coronavirus. However, unlike the residents of Wugang, those affected are allowed to leave their homes in “emergency cases”. In addition, one member per household is allowed to go shopping every two days.
According to data from Japan’s Nomura bank on Monday, nearly 250 million people in China are currently subject to some form of corona protection measures — more than twice as many as last week.
Further strict zero-Covid strategy
Despite massive economic damage and growing discontent among the people, authorities in China still follow a strict zero-covid strategy, immediately addressing individual outbreaks through lockdowns and mass testing.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
