Chengdu, the southwestern metropolis and one of the country's largest cities, restricted the freedom of movement of more than 20 million people in China on Thursday, Sept. 1. The city reported 157 new positive cases of covid on Thursday.
To stop the contamination, authorities have ordered the testing of about 20 million residents. Everyone will have to "stay home" from 6 p.m. Thursday, the mayor's office added, without specifying the duration of the measure. The country continues to follow a strict public health strategy, despite having far fewer infections than the rest of the world.
The policy, criticized by the World Health Organization and many epidemiologists, has led to numerous lockdowns as soon as positive cases appear, near-mandatory PCR tests every 72 or 48 hours, quarantines, and unexpected closures of factories and businesses.
In recent weeks, China has faced an epidemic upsurge, small in number of cases but affecting a large part of the country's provinces. In at least a dozen cities and districts, the start of the school year has been postponed or is taking place online, officials said.