China locks down Lanzhou, city of four million, over Covid cases

China reported 29 new domestic infections, including six in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province. - AFP

BEIJING (AFP): China placed a city of four million people under lockdown on Tuesday (Oct 26), ordering them not to leave home except in emergencies, in a bid to eradicate a Covid cluster of just a few dozen confirmed cases.

Beijing imposed strict border controls after the coronavirus was first detected in China in late 2019, slowing the number of cases to a trickle and allowing the economy to bounce back.