If you thought that we’ve seen the worst of the Covid-19 virus, you thought wrong. Multiple countries around the world are seeing a spike in cases as the much talked about second wave becomes increasingly less fictional by the day, which I’m sure will come as an annoyance to a certain Mike Pence.
A brand new Covid-19 cluster in Anxin county, part of Hebei province, has forced Chinese authorities to reinstate a strict lockdown in the area — which is only about 150 kilometres from the capital Beijing. The lockdown is said to affect around 400,000 people in the area.
Chinese officials said on Sunday that Anxin would now be “fully enclosed and controlled”, evoking memories of Wuhan and the strict lockdown the central government imposed a few months back when the virus first reared its ugly head.
So why exactly are China doing this?
The move comes after Beijing reported 14 cases of the virus in just 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 311 in the area. While it may not seem as bad as other countries like the US for example, China doesn’t want to take any chances of another Wuhan happening.
After initially bottling their handling of the virus, China managed to contain the virus rather impressively, with the country’s quick construction of hospitals and massive lockdowns getting infections to consistently low level. China is very much keen on keeping the momentum, so even the smallest of surges are taken rather seriously.
What does this mean for the residents of Anxin?
According to the county’s epidemic prevention task force, each family is allowed one representative to go out once a day to purchase daily necessities such as food and meds. On top of that, only essential workers are allowed to leave their homes and non residents will not be allowed to enter any buildings, communities or villages in the affected area.
While it’s worrying to hear news of spikes in cases, it only highlights the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over and that until a vaccine is found, heightened vigilance and strict social distancing protocols should be practiced.
It does sort of make you question whether or not Malaysia has become too lax with its restrictions too. What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments.
