Chinese province locks down areas to stop spread of Indian variant of COVID-19

The Chinese province of Guangdong is locking down and carrying out mass testing as officials work to tame a spike in coronavirus cases in the city of Guangzhou.

Officials in Guangdong have identified the highly transmissible Delta COVID-19 variant, which was first detected in India, as the main force behind the flare up since the end of May, according to CNBC.

Guangzhou, which has a population upward of 15 million people, has reported 96 of the more than 100 recent cases in Guangdong, CNBC reported.

Liwan, a city where the first case of the Delta variant was reported in the province in May, has imposed stringent lockdowns on certain streets, according to CNBC. In some areas, people are not allowed to enter or exit certain zones, and in others, residents are not permitted to leave their buildings.

According to CNBC, 24-hour checkpoints have been established to observe movement in and out of the zones.

Restaurants and entertainment venues have reportedly been forced to close amid the spike, and tight travel restrictions are in place.

In areas of the province where the flare up is of lesser concern, however, some restaurants and bars are offering takeout menus.

Hundreds of domestic flights from Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport have also been canceled, CNBC reported.

The province reportedly completed 16 million tests between May 26 and midnight on June 5.

According to data from the World Health Organization, China has reported more than 114,000 COVID-19 cases and at least 5,100 deaths.

As of May 25, more than 634.1 million vaccine doses had been administered in the country.