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Covid-19 in China: people asked to stay home for the holidays as 20 new infections reported

  • Communist Party and government officials in Beijing ordered not to leave city for duration of New Year and Lunar New Year holidays
  • National Health Commission reports eight local and 12 imported cases on Friday

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Authorities across China are tightening travel controls ahead of the New Year and Lunar New Year festivities in a bid to contain Covid-19. Photo: Reuters
City and provincial governments across China have asked people to remain in their regions over the upcoming holiday periods in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19 amid reports of several new local infections.
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Beijing has introduced some of the strictest measures, ordering all employees of ministries and central state organs and institutions to stay in the city for the duration of the New Year festivities and Lunar New Year holiday in February.

Everyone else in the capital will have to abide by strict travel controls, which include restrictions on the number of people allowed to use public transport, including trains, planes, buses and the underground.

Lunar New Year events will be downsized or cancelled, while libraries, museums, parks and other venues will open only for visits by appointment during the holiday period, the government said.

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Authorities in other parts of the country, including Liaoning, Shannxi and Guangdong provinces, have also advised people against non-essential travel outside their hometowns and cities.

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