Chinese city in lockdown amid fears of virus spread to Beijing

BEIJING • A city that borders Beijing has been locked down after detecting eight new Covid-19 infections, raising the risk of spread into China's capital.

Zhuozhou, in the northern province of Hebei, imposed the lockdown from Tuesday and will mass-test its 700,000 residents.

They are banned from leaving their homes, while bus and taxi services are suspended.

Only vehicles undertaking virus control measures are allowed on its streets.

While the city is relatively small, it is located about 60km south-west of Beijing, and local officials estimate more than 7,000 residents commute to the capital for work.

Beijing has managed to keep its daily case tally below two digits for more than two months, with all residents getting a polymerase chain reaction test every three days to take transport and enter most venues.

But a more substantial spread would be a major test of China's zero-Covid-19 strategy, which relies on mass testing and lockdowns to contain flare-ups.

It also risks occurring in the run-up to when President Xi Jinping is expected to secure an unprecedented third term as leader.

Focus is also shifting to the south-western megacity of Chongqing, which had emerged as an oasis of relative normality in China's zero-Covid-19 landscape.

It reported 40 new cases for Tuesday, the most since the start of the pandemic. Officials have said the virus has been secretly transmitting for a long time, raising greater risk of community spread.

The city has rolled out mass testing for its central districts.

Nationwide, China reported 1,641 infections for Tuesday.

The southern island province of Hainan remains the country's hot spot with 600 cases.

BLOOMBERG