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In order to limit Covid-19 ahead of a significant ruling Communist Party gathering this year, officials enforced a lockdown on millions of people in the districts surrounding China’s capital on Tuesday. As authorities scramble to contain a minor virus flare-up, nearly four million residents of Hebei province, which encircles Beijing, have been told to stay at home till the end of the week. And after 51 relatively minor cases were discovered, more than 13 million people in the nearby port city of Tianjin must undergo mass testing starting at 6 am (2200 GMT).
Lockdowns, travel bans, and mass testing have disrupted businesses and slowed growth in China, the only major economy in the world to maintain a zero-Covid policy.
In preparation for the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party, which is scheduled to take place within the next three months, Beijing has strengthened its stance on the issue.
President Xi Jinping, who will be inaugurated for an unprecedented third term in power during the conference, is largely regarded as leaving behind a political legacy that is heavily influenced by how he handled the pandemic.
However, according to a research note by Nomura analyst Ting Lu, “the actual Covid situation in China might be getting worse, as Omicron has once again expanded to significant cities.”
The largest city in western China, Chengdu, has also experienced severe travel restrictions.
Two districts in Shenzhen, a southern tech hub, are partially under lockdown, and Huaqiangbei, the largest electronics market in the world, has closed. This is despite the fact that only 35 cases a day are reported in the city of over 18 million people.
A dealer at the Huaqiangbei tech market, who only gave his last name Chen, told AFP that “the notification to close came abruptly, we just had a few hours to put our merchandise into warehouses and lock up.”
Large-scale public activities have been postponed in Futian, where the local government is based, and parks, karaoke bars, and theatres are all closed until Friday.
Despite the fact that no incidents were reported there, authorities also sealed off the Wanxia neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city, which provides migrant workers and delivery drivers with modest accommodation.
