Beijing districts placed under lockdown as coronavirus cases mount

China’s capital began testing millions of residents and shutting down residential and business districts on Monday amid a new outbreak of Covid-19.

While only just over 40 cases of coronavirus have been found in Beijing, which has a population of more than 21 million, since the outbreak surfaced on Friday, authorities have implemented extreme measures to prevent its further spread.

Residents were staying home and stocking up on food as a safeguard against the possibility that they could be confined indoors, as has happened in multiple cities including the financial hub of Shanghai.

The central city Anyang, along with Dandong on the border with North Korea, also announced lockdowns as the Omicron variant spreads across the vast country.

China’s borders remain largely closed as its hardline response and the pandemic’s economic impact continue to grow.