China has decided to go back to its strict policy on COVID-19 as fresh cases prompted the authorities to put millions of people under lockdown across the country. While the measures varied in severity in different provinces, a number of restrictions remained the same for the whole country.
In the Shenzhen district, the authorities ordered entertainment venues and markets to stay closed and people were asked not to attend any large events in the coming days. On the other hand, a more severe lockdown was implemented for the densely populated northern port city of Dalian.
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The western metropolis of Chengdu to Shijiazhuang in central Hebei province were also affected.
The cases were going down in the past few months and that resulted in relaxation of most COVID-19 restrictions that China had in place for a considerable amount of period. However, the renewed lockdowns have made life difficult for the citizens and has also impacted the country’s economy.
According to Reuters, the purchasing managers’ index (an indicator of manufacturing activity) has fallen constantly below the 50-point mark in the last three months. As a result, the authorities have confirmed that the economy has been shrinking considerably due to the pandemic and other factors.
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“Markets could once again be hit in the next couple of weeks, likely triggering another round of cuts by economists on the street,” the national bureau of statistics said in their statement.
The other sector that has been severely impacted by the lockdown is the travel industry. China was looking to resume flights and even hand out visas to foreign students and business. However, if cases continue to rise, the authorities will be forced to put a halt to their steps as of now.
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