China’s Chengdu extends COVID lockdown while Shenzhen tightens measures – National

China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen said it will roll out tiered antivirus lockdown measures from Monday, while southwestern metropolis Chengdu announced an extension of lockdown restrictions as the country grapples with fresh outbreaks.

Shenzhen, which went into a weekend lockdown on Saturday, announced a new round of COVID-19 testing and vowed to “mobilize all available resources, mobilize all forces and take all possible measures” to stamp out the pandemic.

Separately, Chengdu, which put its 21 million residents under lockdown on Thursday, said the city would maintain curbs for most of the city and conduct more mass testing Monday through Wednesday.

China is sticking to its strict zero-COVID policy, even as most other countries have eased restrictions and chosen to live with the virus. As a result, new outbreaks have become a major risk for the world’s second largest economy.

According to an estimate by Chinese financial magazine Caixin, 33 cities are currently under partial or full lockdown, affecting more than 65 million residents.

In Shenzhen, a city of 18 million people, an official said the risks are still significant.

“Currently, the city’s COVID situation is serious and complex. The number of new infections remains relatively high and the risk of community transmission remains,” Lin Hancheng, a public health official in Shenzhen, said at a news conference late Sunday.

The city reported 89 new locally transmitted COVID infections for Sept. 3, compared to 87 the day before.

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THREE-LEVEL MANAGEMENT

Based on the results of the weekend testing, Shenzhen will classify its areas into three categories reflecting low, medium and high risk of infection, Lin said.

In areas deemed low-risk, the city will lift restrictions that confined much of its population to residential areas over the weekend, although lockdowns remain in “high” and “medium” risk neighborhoods.

In areas where infections have been detected, the temporary restrictions would be extended by three days.

Large districts of Futian, Nanshan and Longhua said entertainment centers such as cinemas and KTVS would remain closed and restaurants could dine at half capacity.

Nanyuan Quarter in Futian County will continue to be treated as a medium-risk area due to the relatively high number of positive cases detected, Lin said.

Separately, Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, said it would continue to impose COVID lockdown restrictions in most parts of the city.

Even in two areas where life is allowed to return to normal — Xinjin District and Qionglai City — indoor dining will still be banned, while public activities such as conferences and performances will be severely curtailed. (Reporting by the Shanghai and Beijing newsrooms; Editing by David Goodman, Jan Harvey and Philippa Fletcher)