Following the discovery of four asymptomatic Covid cases, the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan has ordered the closure of a neighborhood housing almost a million people as the pandemic’s original epicenter takes no risks in adhering to China’s rigorous zero-Covid policy.
Authorities in Wuhan’s Jiangxia district, which is home to more than 970,000 people, stated Wednesday that ‘temporary control measures’ will be put in place for three days in the region’s major metropolitan districts. According to a government statement, all places of worship were shut down, religious activities were prohibited, entertainment venues—including bars, movie theaters, and internet cafes—small clinics, agricultural product markets, and dining at restaurants were all suspended. Tutoring centers and tourist attractions also stopped operations.
Residents were encouraged not to leave the neighborhood unless it was absolutely essential, and all public transportation, including buses and subway services, were halted.
Authorities have also designated four high-risk areas where inhabitants are not permitted to leave their houses. Four more neighborhoods have been classified as medium-risk, which means that people cannot leave their complexes.
According to the statement, the actions were taken to “further restrict the flow of individuals, minimize the danger of cross-infection, and achieve dynamic zero-Covid in the shortest period feasible.”
The broad limits were put into place soon after the Jiangxia district officials revealed late on Tuesday that four asymptomatic illnesses had been found. Two were caught on routine testing drives, while the other two were located among their close acquaintances.
In order to contain the ravaging coronavirus, Wuhan, a transport and industrial hub in central China’s Hubei province, implemented the first Covid lockdown in the world in early 2020. This was done after initially downplaying the outbreak and silencing health professionals who tried to raise the alarm.
Businesses were forced to close, and inhabitants were confined to their houses for more than two months. The crippling lockdown cost locals dearly but was ultimately successful in controlling the epidemic.