Chinese locks down border town as Myanmar battles outbreak

Authorities have locked down a Chinese city bordering Myanmar, shutting most businesses and requiring residents to stay at home as a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 expanded

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities locked down a city bordering Myanmar on Wednesday, shutting most businesses and requiring residents to stay at home as a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 expanded. Two more cases were confirmed by the end of Wednesday, bringing the total to 23 in Ruili city over the past four days, health authorities in southwestern Yunnan province said. The lockdown shut down all businesses and public institutions except hospitals, pharmacies and essential shops such as grocery stores, according to a notice posted online. It affects the urban part of Ruili, which like most Chinese cities includes surrounding rural areas in its jurisdiction. Myanmar is battling a large outbreak with limited resources to contain it. The Southeast Asian nation reported 3,602 new cases in the last 24 hours, state media said Wednesday, its highest daily total since the pandemic began.