Europe 1 with AFP 10:21 am, October 26, 2021

Chinese authorities imposed confinement on a city in the northwest of the country on Tuesday, continuing their "zero Covid" policy.

Concern is mounting as the Winter Olympics open on February 4.

Chinese authorities imposed confinement on Tuesday in Lanzhou (north-west), which has four million inhabitants, due to a rebound in Covid-19 cases, a hundred days from the Beijing Winter Olympics.

All living quarters in this city, capital of Gansu province, will be subject to "closed management" with strict movement control, the municipality said.

Any exit outside the home will now be possible only for "essential purchases", an imperative linked to the epidemic, or "emergency medical treatment," said a statement from the authorities.

29 new cases of Covid-19 today

China nationally reported 29 new cases of Covid-19 of local origin on Tuesday.

The majority are linked to the movements of a group of contaminated tourists.

While the figures may seem paltry compared to those recorded daily in other parts of the world, they are pushing the authorities to redouble their vigilance as China prepares to host the Winter Olympics from February 4, 2022.

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 China: faced with the outbreak of Covid cases, concern rises six months before the Winter Olympics

A recent outbreak in Inner Mongolia, in the north of the country, has been responsible for more than 100 cases since last week.

The Chinese authorities, which practice a policy of "zero tolerance" towards the virus, reacted swiftly, imposing restrictions and organizing mass screening campaigns in the affected regions.