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China is facing its worst covid crisis since early 2020. Tens of millions of people have been placed on lockdown in northeastern Jilin province and the southern cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan.
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Laurence TorckSource: ABC NEWS
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China, the last country to have a zero-covid policy, reported 1,437 corona cases in dozens of cities on Monday. That’s a fourfold increase in just a week. Compared to our corona infections and our population, one might think that those numbers are not that bad, but China is not prepared to learn to live with the virus. And so measures continue to be taken when clusters arise.
Authorities announced Monday afternoon that all 24 million residents of Jilin province would go into lockdown. It is the first provincial lockdown since Wuhan and Hubei in January 2020.
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On Sunday, 17.5 million residents of Shenzhen were already ordered to quarantine and be tested three times. All public transport is at a standstill, just like all companies, until March 20. Only essential services remain open.
The lockdown and outbreaks threaten manufacturing in Shenzhen, known as China’s Silicon Valley. It is home to Huawei and Tencent, and also one of the country’s main ports is located in Shenzhen.
–Empty Streets in Shenzhen — © VCG via Getty Images
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