Authorities in the Chinese city in the southwest Chengdu have imposed restrictions on the city in order to limit an increase in new infections in COVID-19, while residents complained of food shortages and panic purchase.
The 21 million residents of the city, the provincial capital of Sichuan, were ordered to undergo mass PCR tests, because places of entertainment and local schools were closed in new measures announced on Tuesday.
Citywide, anyone wishing to access any public space, including public transport, will have to present a green “health code” on the Chinese government’s monitoring application, indicating a negative PCR test during the last 48 hours.
Other targeted restrictions and locking have also been announced in the districts of Jinjiang, Gaoxin, Wuhou, Chenghua, Qingyang and Jinniu de Chengdu, while the Chengdu Automobile Fair was “suspended,” the media said.
A Chengdu resident who only gave the surname that Wu said that traffic restrictions had meant less and less food for sale in stores and supermarkets, triggering panics in certain regions.
“There are very few people on the street, and no seller sells vegetables in the morning,” said Wu. “There are no more vegetables in supermarkets. I managed to get a few eggs. ”
“Some of my friends store food at home; City authorities tell people to refuel, “she said.
Photos of a Chengdu supermarket have published on the social media platform Weibo showed empty shelves and freezer cabinets.
And a video clip identified by the Twitter account @songpingganq as being turned in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Chengdu, shown cries and mass cries from several high -rise buildings in the dark.
Wu described the situation in Chengdu as “quite serious”, certain closed metro stations and public transport changing the routes to avoid certain districts.
“They locked many residential compounds last night,” she said. “There are many people who will undergo PCR tests, which we have to do every 24 hours.”
“They are starting to call people on the speakers at 5 am to get up and go for PCR tests … This happens more in places like Century City, the high-tech area and the Jinnui district.”
The restrictions occurred while the Sichuan provincial health authorities confirmed 276 new cases, including 211 in Chengdu, bearing the cumulative total in the city on Monday, reported the state media.
The results of the sequencing of the virus genes have shown that the epidemic was caused by the variant Omicron Ba. 2.76, China Global times Reported on the newspaper.
“The tension has led to infections in clusters in many places across the country because of its rapid propagation speed, its high transmission capacity and its latent characteristic,” said the newspaper.
Epidemics in other places
Local authorities also fight against COVVI-19 epidemics in Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Sichuan, Shenyang, Liaoning, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Xiamen, Yunnan, Kunming and Tibet, with 1,717 nationwide during the nationwide and Tibet, with 1,717 nationwide during the Nationwide and Tibet, with 1,717 Nationwide during the Nationwide and the table 24 hours, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday.
The authorities of the city in the north of Shijiazhuang have closed public transport in and outside the city, while the authorities of the southern city of Shenzhen have locked the districts of Futian, Luohu and Longgang, closing 24 metro stations.
A resident of the Shandong Eastern Province who only gave the Zhang surname said that Qingdao residents were to have PCR tests every four days.
“If you spend more than four days without doing a PCR test, you will get an amber code [on the health code app]”Said Zhang to RFA.” Going to zero-covers seems impossible now, and there is probably interest acquired at work; Some people who do not want to go to zero-printing. »»
“The PCR test industry is quite frightening,” he said.
Zhang said local officials are much more likely to implement difficult restrictions rather than seeing local cases soar before the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (PCC) in power later this year.
Meanwhile, a resident of the southwest megapalicity of Chongqing who only gave the family name, said that local officials had tried to seal his gateway after a neighbor gave them his address after being tested positive for COVID-19.
“He gave them my apartment number instead of his,” said Li. “Now the neighborhood committee is trying to seal my door.”
“Now I can open my door again, but I was so angry about it,” he said.
Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.