MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

China: Full lockdown reinstated in Wuhan area due to COVID-19

The decision was made after four asymptomatic cases were identified Tuesday

In line with their Zero-COVID policy, Chinese authorities have placed an entire district on the outskirts of Wuhan under strict lockdown for the first time since 2020, it was reported.

About one million people in the Jiangxia district must remain in their homes more than two years after the city first experienced what was then described as a mysterious respiratory disease.

The decision was made after four asymptomatic cases were identified Tuesday. Public transport is also at a standstill, as are recreational areas, which are closed for three days.

Before this week, life for Wuhan's eleven million inhabitants had returned to normal, despite an occasional outbreak of COVID-19 in April and a few cases last month.

China is maintaining its “zero Covid” policy, using containment, movement restrictions, and large-scale testing.

The severe confinement came into force Thursday. People in high-risk areas must stay at home, while those in medium-risk areas are permitted limited outings.

The measures seek to “reduce the flow of people, the risk of infections and obtain the 'zero Covid dynamics' as soon as possible,” the authorities said in a statement.

Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, was where lockdowns were first imposed in 2020 after having minimized the scope of the SARS-CoV-2 onset.