BEIJING – China has locked down parts of the central metropolis of Xi’an, confining some of the city’s 13 million people to their homes for at least a week, and other major hubs are rolling out virus restrictions in a reinforcement of the country’s commitment to the “Covid-Zero” policy.

While the entire city would not be shut down, some areas will be “managed”, according to the rules that apply to neighbourhoods in China deemed to be of high and medium risk for the virus, according to a local media report posted on the Xi’an government’s official WeChat account late on Thursday.

The city had 57 high-risk areas as at late Thursday, and 74 medium-risk ones, a separate post on the government’s WeChat account showed. 

Residents in high-risk areas need to stay at home until no new Covid-19 infections are reported for seven days and they get downgraded to medium risk, according to the latest rules from China’s National Health Commission.

People living in medium-risk areas are restricted to movement within those neighbourhoods until no new infections are reported over the seven-day period. Xi’an posted 37 local infections for Thursday, up from 34 the day before.

Elsewhere, Foxconn Technology Group imposed curbs in its main iPhone assembly campus in Zhengzhou as the city seeks to tame a flare-up, and more Shanghai residents are facing restrictions.

The curbs come even as officials at the national level debate whether to reduce the amount of time people coming into the country must spend in mandatory quarantine – suggesting that while China may be looking at easing border restrictions that have kept it increasingly isolated from the rest of the world, they are still committed to strict internal curbs.   

President Xi Jinping on Sunday signalled no looming change to the Covid-Zero approach, disappointing investors who had hoped for some signs of loosening.

During a speech opening the twice-a-decade party congress in Beijing, where he is expected to secure a precedent-breaking third term in power, Mr Xi said the rules protect people’s lives, though he avoided mentioning the economic toll.

Shanghai, which posted 13 local infections on Thursday, appears to have stepped up virus curbs while the party congress is on. A growing number of apartments and residential compounds have been locked down due to positive cases or close contacts. 

In Henan province, Foxconn shut cafeterias at its Zhengzhou facility, asked workers to eat in their dormitory rooms and required workers to wear more-secure N95 masks.

The company also imposed restrictions on staff movements, closing certain entrances while mandating employees commute to factories along certain routes only. The city reported 15 new cases and has already locked down one of its most-populated districts.

In the neighbouring province of Anhui, the capital, Hefei, shut indoor facilities including cinemas, gyms, Internet cafes and bars to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to the municipal government on Thursday.

In-person classes at primary and secondary schools as well as tuition centres have been halted and colleges are subject to a closed-loop management system. The city reported eight new cases.

While China’s most important cities have so far avoided large-scale shutdowns, the creeping restrictions underscore the constant threat of disruption to daily life.

Rumours about a citywide lockdown in Xi’an started swirling on Thursday afternoon, leading to residents panic-buying groceries and emptying shelves in supermarkets, according to social media posts.

The city endured a month-long shutdown that ended in January, with many residents reporting that they went hungry and were unable to access essential supplies. At least two hospitals had turned away patients, which sparked national outrage. 

China reported 783 infections on Thursday, with cases holding well below a peak of nearly 2,000 earlier in October. BLOOMBERG