Zhengzhou, a city in central China that hosts a huge iPhone factory, ordered several neighborhoods to be locked down due to an outbreak of Covid-19 that sparked violent protests.
Residents of the city center are no longer allowed to leave the area without a negative Covid test and permission from local authorities, and are advised not to leave their homes "
unless necessary
", city authorities have announced. Zhengzhou.
These restrictions, which will last for five days from Friday midnight, affect more than 6 million people, or about half of the city's population.
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The authorities' notice, released late Wednesday, November 23, also requires all residents of eight districts to undergo a daily PCR test during the five-day period.
China is the latest major economy to attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus, a strategy that is fueling weariness and resentment among much of the population as the pandemic soon enters its fourth year.
The order was announced by the city of Zhengzhou after violent protests at the city's sprawling iPhone factory complex earlier this week.
The factory, which is owned by Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn, is not affected by the new order.
But it has been under anti-Covid restrictions for more than a month due to an increase in cases in its workers' dormitories.
Footage last month showed panicked workers fleeing the site on foot, with some complaining about the chaos and disorganization there.
On Wednesday, the Zhengzhou government said the outbreak in the city was "
still serious and complicated
".
The number of daily Covid cases in the country hit a record high on Thursday at 31,454, which is relatively few compared to China's 1.4 billion people, but exceeds the peak recorded in mid-April when the megacity Shanghai was under lockdown.
On Thursday, Zhengzhou recorded 675 new Covid infections, the vast majority of which were asymptomatic.
