Commuters wearing face masks walk along a street in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Virus Outbreak China
BEIJING (AP) — Some 21 million people have been ordered to stay home in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu following a spike in COVID-19 cases. Flights have been suspended to and from the city that is a major transit hub in Sichuan province, as well as being its governmental and economic center. Under the rules, just one member of each family who can show a negative virus test within the past 24 hours is allowed out per day to buy necessities. Chengdu has reported more than 1,000 cases and no deaths from the latest round of domestic transmission, but the extreme measures reflect China’s rigid adherence to its “zero-COVID” policy that has exacted a major toll on the economy.
