Less than a month after easing pandemic restrictions, China has recovered several “zero-Covid” policies in an effort to control the new wave of infections that are breaking out across the country.
Covid-19 infections have been increasing almost every day since late October, and China recently recorded its first coronavirus-related death in months. In response, officials closed businesses, continued a citywide lockdown, and reinstated routine testing requirements.
China stands alone as the only major country still go to extreme lengths to eliminate Covid-19 infections, raising questions about when its economy can fully reopen.
The photos below show scenes across a country once again disrupted by the lockdown.
Barriers form a security checkpoint in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, southern China, earlier this month. Below, a medical worker is taking samples for Covid-19 testing in Beijing on Tuesday.
Red fences block entrances to public entertainment areas and exercise machines near the border crossing in Futian district in Shenzhen.
A new mall opened in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district, home to many tech companies.
A padlock blocks the entrance to a local bar in the village of Xiasha in Shenzhen.
In Beijing on Tuesday, a woman waited to cross an almost deserted intersection in the Central Business District during rush hour. Most workers are now required to work from home and many offices are closed.
Earlier this month, a worker wearing protective gear stood guard near a metal fence blocking shops that were closed as part of Covid-19 control measures in Beijing.
A coronavirus testing site in Beijing.
People line up for routine testing at a location in Beijing.
People line up to be tested for Covid-19 at a testing site in a tunnel in Beijing’s central business district this month.
Security guards wearing protective masks supervised a popular shopping district in Beijing on Sunday after shops and restaurants closed.
Steam is seen on a window as employees dine at a closed restaurant for indoor dining in Beijing on Sunday.
A woman wearing a mask and carrying her belongings walks down a street with closed bars in Beijing on Sunday.
