The Chinese border city of Ejin Banner and Lanzhou in Gansu Province have been placed under a lockdown on Monday in view of a rise in domestic Covid-19 cases, reported the Global Times.
Health authorities said that north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region registered 13 new local Covid-19 cases on Sunday, of which 12 were reported from the city of Ejin Banner.
With this, the tally in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region rose to 62. Of these, a total of 43 cases are in Ejin Banner.
The Covid-19 patients have been admitted to designated hospitals for treatment and all their close contacts are in quarantine.
An emergency notice issued by authorities on Monday directed the residents and tourists in the city to stay indoors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection. Those found violating the rule would face severe punishments according to the law, the notice said.
The lockdown has left about 10,000 tourists stranded in the city that has 35,000 residents, according to local media reports.
On October 21, the city administration had announced that it would offer free food delivery services and medical supplies to tourists.
Alxa League, the region that administers Ejin Banner, had dispatched two batches of materials, including face masks, protective clothing, disinfectant and winter supplies on October 20.
On Sunday, the local unit of the Red Cross had called for social donations for the region.
In Lanzhou, the city authorities suspended public gatherings and asked the residents not to leave their homes unless necessary. Six cases were reported in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, reported AFP.
Lanzhou officials said the “entry and exit of residents” would be strictly controlled and limited to getting essential supplies or medical treatment.
“All types of residential communities are to implement closed management,” authorities said in a statement.
Access to tourist sites has also been restricted in Lanzhou.
Stay-at-home orders have already been imposed on tens of thousands in northern China. The latest outbreak in China has been linked to the Delta variant of the coronavirus. In the past week, more than 100 cases were reported.
China has so far recorded 1,09,264 cases and 4,849 deaths, according to data by the Johns Hopkins University.
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