China has ordered a strict lockdown of the southwestern city of Baise after more than 70 cases were discovered in the past three days.
Authorities ordered residents in the city, near the border with Vietnam, to stay at home on Monday, leaving their residences only to buy essential items or to test for COVID-19. Local officials encouraged residents to use delivery services rather than travel to a store when possible. Baise has a population of about 3.6 million.
The lockdown comes as China hosts the 2022 Winter Olympics in the capital, Beijing, within a strict bubble to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
American figure skater Vincent Zhou said Monday he was withdrawing from the Games after testing positive for COVID-19. Zhou delivered the news in a tearful Instagram video.
The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported Monday that there are more than 396 million global COVID-19 infections and more than 5.7 million global COVID-19 deaths. The center said more than 10 billion COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
