China puts 17 million under lockdown amid virus surge in Shenzhen

Beijing, Mar 13 (EFE).- Shenzen will go under lockdown after a surge in coronavirus infections in recent days, authorities in the southeastern Chinese city said Sunday.

China’s third most populated city with nearly 17 million inhabitants and home to technology giants such as Huawei and Tencent, will subject its residents to strict coronavirus testing in a bid to flatten the curve of cases.

After reporting 60 new cases on Saturday and more than 300 in February, authorities decided to put the city under lockdown for 20 days as of Monday, except for essential businesses, such as electricity and water services, as well as basic level transportation.

China is currently dealing with a new wave of infections driven by the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant, with active cases in mainland China amounting to 5,461, according to the latest figures released by health authorities on Monday. EFE

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