New COVID-19 outbreak in China: Authorities shut down Lanzhou, city of 4 million people

Lanzhou, a four-million-strong city in northwest China, was placed under lockdown on Tuesday in an effort to contain a domestic coronavirus outbreak, with people ordered not to leave their homes except in an emergency.

"Closed management is to be implemented in all sorts of residential communities," the local administration stated in a statement, as China recorded 29 new domestic illnesses. 

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Officials in hazmat suits stood guard at the doors of each residential complex, and metal barriers were erected around the perimeter of the area.

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People who have visited areas with local COVID-19 infections in the recent 14 days will be denied entry.

Parks, scenic regions, theatres, museums, and other indoor facilities are likewise limited to 75 percent occupancy, and Mahjong rooms have been shuttered. 
 

Earlier, the Chinese capital increased entrance restrictions on Sunday, forcing visitors from areas where proven cases have been established to submit a negative coronavirus test and undergo 14 days of health monitoring.

According to a CNN tally of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission's daily reports, the city has registered 14 confirmed cases in the new outbreak, including 12 in the last three days.

As Beijing prepares for the 2022 Winter Olympics in February, a large Covid outbreak would be the last thing Chinese policymakers want to see. 

(With inputs from agencies)