China authorities apologise after boy dies in Covid lockdown

A worker in protective gear rides on a street as she heads to take Covid-19 sample from residents who have been under home quarantine in Beijing. The northwestern city of Lanzhou has been locked down for nearly a month under China’s harsh zero-Covid policy, which has seen millions of people across the country confined to their homes and often complaining of poor conditions, food shortages and slow emergency responses. — AP

BEIJING: Chinese local authorities apologised on Nov 3 after a three-year-old boy died of carbon monoxide poisoning when medical care was delayed because of a Covid lockdown, in a rare admission of responsibility.

The northwestern city of Lanzhou has been locked down for nearly a month under China’s harsh zero-Covid policy, which has seen millions of people across the country confined to their homes and often complaining of poor conditions, food shortages and slow emergency responses.