Chengdu moves to suppress COVID-19 outbreak

Chengdu, Sichuan province, will start static management across the city at 6 pm on Thursday, with residents required to stay home and unnecessary businesses suspended, in an effort to curb further expansion of an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the city, according to local authorities.

The city reported 106 confirmed cases and 51 asymptomatic carriers on Wednesday. It has designated 198 high-risk areas and 183 medium-risk areas, its health commission said. All of the areas are under management with different levels of restrictions for activities.

Starting on Thursday, the city will carry out mass testing over four consecutive days, according to a notice by the city's headquarters for epidemic prevention and control.

The notice said citizens are advised not to leave the city if not necessary. Households confined at home can send one family member to go out to buy daily supplies.

Except for those involved in the work of controlling the epidemic, all employees of government organs will work in communities as volunteers to provide services for citizens, it said.

Public transport of buses and subways in the city will be reduced to support people who are involved in controlling the epidemic and citizens with special needs. Passengers need to provide a negative result of a nucleic acid test taken within 24 hours, the notice said.

As of Wednesday, the city had 665 confirmed cases and 293 asymptomatic carriers under treatment or medical observation, the health commission said. The number includes imported cases.