Chinese cities battle Covid as Winter Olympics loom
January 17, 2022 06:38 PM
China is battling Omicron and Delta outbreaks in several cities, testing the country's strict "zero-Covid" strategy just weeks before Beijing hosts the Winter Olympics.
Here's a rundown of the measures in place in key areas of the world's most populous nation.
Tianjin
Tianjin is home to China's largest domestic Omicron cluster to date, with almost 300 local cases reported since the highly transmissible variant was first discovered over a week ago.
Officials have not yet identified the source of the outbreak, as the city completed a third round of mass testing on its 14 million residents last week.
Authorities have stopped short of ordering a complete lockdown of the city, an important industrial manufacturing and port hub. Last week, carmakers Toyota and Volkswagen shut down their factories in the city.
Affected districts have been locked down since last week, with locals unable to leave their homes. Residents cannot leave the city without official permission.
The Tianjin outbreak is noteworthy because of the city's proximity to Beijing just 150 kilometres (90 miles) away.
Authorities have stepped up controls over transport links to the capital, with trains cancelled and highway checkpoints installed.
The Tianjin outbreak has already spread to Anyang in Henan province and the coastal port of Dalian, Liaoning province.