China: The Chinese city of Lanzhou, which has a population of 4 million people, has been placed under lockdown due to an increase in coronavirus cases. There have been 29 new instances of Covid-19 reported in China, with 6 of them coming from Lanzhou. Residents have been warned not to leave their homes unless it is an emergency, according to sources. According to a statement released by the local government, “all forms of residential communities are to apply closed management.” The lockdown in Lanzhou comes just one day after stringent restrictions were enforced in Ejin, China, in response to an increase in Covid cases.
Thousands of residents have been instructed to stay at home by the county administration, which has threatened civil and criminal action against those who do not follow the protocols. Since last Tuesday, Beijing has begun reporting stray cases, breaking a 2-month streak of no cases. On Monday, China reported 39 new cases, increasing the total number of cases tied to the newest Delta variant outbreak to more than 100 in the last week.
Despite periodic outbreaks of illnesses in various parts of the country, critics claim that China has shown no evidence of loosening its pricey Zero-COVID policy. As it prepares to host the renowned Winter Olympics in February next year, Beijing, where foreign travel is highly regulated with 21-day quarantine for foreigners, has adopted a strict zero-case policy. China has imposed travel restrictions on India and several other nations.