Two Chinese cities have, within the space of four days, been locked down for fears of a resurgence of coronavirus disease.
The North-Eastern city of Jilin, with a population of more than four million, shut down its borders and suspended public transport on Wednesday as residents were restricted from entering or leaving their residential compounds unless it is necessary.
The Jilin government, in a statement, directed all cinemas, indoor gyms, internet cafes and other enclosed entertainment venues in Jilin must shut immediately while pharmacies must report all sales of fever and antiviral medicines.
This comes four days after a neighbouring city Shulan, a city of 600,000 people, was put under lockdown over a weekend after registering 12 COVID-19 cases in the space of two days, with all of them linked to the same source.
A total of 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Shulan, according to official figures, with all linked to a local laundry worker, a 45-year-old woman who tested positive on May 7 and was reported as the first confirmed infection. But it remains unclear how the patient contracted the virus.
Jilin reported six new confirmed cases on Wednesday, all linked to the Shulan cluster, bringing the total number of cases linked to a local laundry worker to 21.
China has largely brought the virus under control, but it has been on edge about a potential second wave as it has lifted lockdowns and restrictions across the country.
According to Daily Mail, the emergence of new cases in Wuhan in recent days, after weeks without fresh infections, prompted a campaign to test all 11 million residents in the city where COVID-19 first emerged late last year.
