China has announced lockdown in a city of four million people,, ordering them not to leave home except in emergencies, in a bid to eradicate a Covid cluster.
Beijing imposed strict border controls after the coronavirus was first detected in China in late 2019. But as the rest of the world opens up and tries to find ways to live with the virus, China has maintained a zero-Covid approach that has seen harsh local lockdowns imposed over handfuls of cases.
Tuesday's fresh restrictions came as China reported 29 new domestic infections — including six in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province in the country's northwest.
The latest outbreak has been linked to the highly contagious Delta variant, with the tally hitting 198 cases since October 17.
Health officials have warned that more infections may emerge as testing is ramped up in the coming days to fight the outbreak, which has been linked to a group of domestic tourists who travelled from Shanghai to several other provinces.
Some 23,000 residents in one housing compound in Changping district have been ordered to stay indoors after nine cases were found there in recent days, local outlet Beijing News reported.
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