COVID-19: China confines a city of 4 million inhabitants

Chinese authorities on Tuesday imposed confinement in Lanzhou in the northwest of the country, a city of four million inhabitants in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The decision was motivated because of a rebound in Covid-19 cases a hundred days before the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The country where the coronavirus appeared almost two years ago reported 29 new patients of local origin on Tuesday. The majority are linked to the movements of a group of contaminated tourists.

Any exit from the home will now be possible only for “essential purchases”, an imperative linked to the epidemic, or “emergency medical treatment”, the authorities said in a statement.

Lanzhou is located some 1,400 km west of Beijing, the Chinese capital which is also on the edge as the Olympics approach.

In recent days, authorities have asked residents to avoid “non-essential” trips out of town, as well as large gatherings.