Chinese cities double down on zero-COVID as outbreaks widen - Reuters

BEIJING, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Chinese cities from Wuhan successful cardinal China to Xining successful the northwest are doubling down connected COVID-19 curbs, sealing up buildings, locking down districts and throwing millions into distress successful a scramble to halt widening outbreaks.

China connected Thursday reported a 3rd consecutive time of much than 1,000 caller COVID cases nationwide, a humble tally compared with the tens of thousands per time that sent Shanghai into a full-blown lockdown earlier this twelvemonth but capable to trigger much restrictions crossed the country.

China's coronavirus lawsuit load has remained tiny by planetary standards, but its ultra-strict and disruptive containment measures this twelvemonth against the highly transmissible Omicron variant person weighed heavy connected the world's second-largest economy.

Guangzhou, China's fourth-biggest metropolis by economical output and the provincial superior of Guangdong, connected Thursday sealed up much streets and neighbourhoods and kept radical successful their homes arsenic caller areas were deemed high-risk successful a COVID resurgence that persisted into its 4th week.

"Many of my friends and coworkers person been nether lockdown astatine home," said Guangzhou nonmigratory Lily Li, 28.

"The concern is inactive unstable. Many places are nether lockdown. Classes person stopped and amusement venues person been suspended too. The gym that I often spell to has besides been closed."

As of Oct. 24, 28 cities were implementing varying degrees of lockdown measures, with astir 207.7 cardinal radical affected successful regions liable for astir 25.6 trillion yuan ($3.55 trillion) of China's gross home product, according to Nomura.

That is the equivalent of astir a 4th of China's 2021 economical output.

Mainland China shares edged little connected Thursday arsenic the outbreaks and gloomy information connected a COVID-battered industrial sector wounded sentiment.

WUHAN WOES

Wuhan, tract of the world's archetypal COVID-19 outbreak successful precocious 2019, reported astir 20 to 25 caller infections a time this week, prompting section authorities to bid much than 800,000 radical successful 1 territory to enactment astatine location until Sunday.

"I don't cognize what to do. If we tin inactive past surviving similar this past I accidental that's what we'll do," said a Wuhan nonmigratory surnamed Chang, 38.

"When we spot these quality stories astir COVID, we present consciousness a spot numb. We consciousness numb to it all. We consciousness much and much numb."

Wuhan besides suspended the merchantability of pork successful parts of the city, according to images and posts connected societal media, aft 1 COVID lawsuit was recovered that authorities said was linked to the section pork proviso chain.

In Xining, superior of Qinghai province, societal media posts told of nutrient shortages and rising prices for indispensable goods arsenic wellness authorities successful the metropolis of 2.5 cardinal radical raced to incorporate a COVID rebound pursuing the week-long National Day vacation successful aboriginal October.

"To trim the hazard of transmission, immoderate rootlike and effect stores person been closed and enactment nether quarantine," said a Xining authorities authoritative connected Wednesday.

Other ample cities crossed China including Zhengzhou, Datong and Xian person implemented caller curbs this week to rein successful section outbreaks.

In Beijing, the Universal Resort taxable parkland was unopen connected Wednesday aft 1 visitant tested affirmative for the coronavirus.

China has repeatedly vowed to instrumentality to its zero-tolerance effect to COVID-19 and instrumentality what the authorities accidental are indispensable measures to incorporate the virus.

"Once there's a lawsuit somewhere, and past you go a adjacent contact, you've got to beryllium successful quarantine," said Beijing nonmigratory Wen Bihan, 26, who had antecedently been isolated astatine quarantine facilities connected 2 occasions.

"It's nerve-racking."

($1 = 7.2107 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Reporting by Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Shubing Wang successful Beijing and Josh Ye successful Hong Kong; Editing by Edmund Klamann, Lincoln Feast and Tomasz Janowski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.