Chinese authorities ordered the detention of 21 million people in the southwestern city of Chengdu on Thursday, citing a COVID-19 outbreak as the country over 1.4 , billion people pursue its tough “no COVID” policy.
Chengdu reported 106 new symptomatic cases locally and 51 asymptomatic cases on Thursday. The city recorded more than 600 symptomatic cases last week.
The dismissal comes as millions of Chinese children are about to start the new school year. The city has delayed the opening of schools. China is pursuing an active policy to combat the pandemic while the United States has relaxed most of its COVID-19 restrictions, despite ongoing struggles. The US reported 15,850 COVID-19 deaths in August, the highest toll nationwide in months.
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan, the fourth most populous province in China. The South China Morning Post reported that the city linked the outbreak to two swimming pools. The province has suffered a record heat wave in recent weeks.
Citywide COVID-19 testing of residents began Thursday and will continue through at least Sunday, officials said. Authorities allow one person in each household to go out to buy necessities once a day. He or she must present a negative PCR test result.
China’s drastic measures against COVID-19 have taken a toll on the country’s economy. However, government officials say these restrictions are necessary to prevent the wider spread of the virus, which was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. .