The Chinese government announced the southwestern city of Chengdu, provincial capital of Sichuan with a population of 21 million, will be under coronavirus lockdown from Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m.
Chengdu has reported a total of about 600 symptomatic infections over the past week, with 106 new cases added on Thursday.
Chengdu is one of China’s largest cities and many of the other big cities are dealing with coronavirus outbreaks this week, too. Chengdu is the largest metropolis to go under full lockdown since the devastating quarantine of Shanghai in April.
No end date for the Chengdu lockdown was specified, but officials said much of the population would undergo mandatory Chinese coronavirus testing over the next four days. Residents were ordered to remain in their homes, with each household permitted to send one person per day to obtain food and other necessities.
Employees were instructed to work from home, except for a few vital industries that could implement “closed campus” work policies, and travel from the city was sharply restricted. Swedish automaker Volvo announced on Thursday it will temporarily close its Chengdu plant. Intel, VW, and Toyota also have plants in Chengdu.
Reuters reported a frenzy of panic buying from residents, who were given very little time to prepare for the draconian quarantine order.
“Images online showed some Chengdu residents trying to flee the city and others scrambling to prepare for the lockdown. Videos posted to Weibo, a popular social media platform, showed crowds of residents in outdoor markets and supermarkets, rushing to stock up on food,” the New York Times (NYT) reported.
The NYT noted Chengdu officials denied rumors that a lockdown was coming until the moment they announced it, a deception that angry citizens are raging against on social media.
Sichuan province is already grappling with drought, a heat wave, and sporadic wildfires, so an iron-fisted coronavirus lockdown in its massive capital city is unwelcome news. Chengdu health officials blamed the “extremely complex and severe” outbreak on mass gatherings at swimming areas and entertainment venues by residents trying to beat the heat.