China ordered a lockdown in the northeastern city of Changchun, barring movement of at least 90 lakh people, except for essential purposes, as fresh cases of Covid-19 were detected, reported The Associated Press.
The city recorded two new cases on Friday taking its tally to 78, but in line with China’s “zero tolerance” approach, a lockdown has been imposed. In the city of Jilin close by, at least 93 new cases were found. A lockdown has already been imposed there.
The country has recorded at least 1,000 cases in dozens of cities, the highest since the pandemic first broke out in 2020, according to Reuters. The surge in cases is driven by the Omicron variant of coronavirus, first detected in November.
Shanghai and other major Chinese cities have started testing residents, according to AFP. Schools were shut on Friday in Shanghai, while several restrictions have been imposed in many residential areas in Beijing.
China has recorded no new Covid-19 deaths in over a year and its toll has been 4,636 since January 2021. Nearly 87% of the country’s population has also been vaccinated, according to Reuters
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