About 80,000 tourists reportedly stranded in China resort city after authorities declared it a COVID-19 hot spot
Mark Schiefelbein / ASSOCIATED PRESS
- Almost 80,000 tourists are left stranded in a beach resort city on an island south of China.
- Chinese authorities imposed a lockdown Saturday morning, declaring the resort a COVID-19 hot spot.
- China is sticking to its "Zero Covid" strategy, which includes sudden lockdowns and mass testing.
Roughly 80,000 tourists are reportedly stranded at a beach resort city located on an island south of China after authorities there imposed a lockdown, declaring it a COVID-19 hot spot.
Chinese authorities enforced restrictions Saturday morning, canceling flights and banning all ticket sales in Sanya, a resort city located on Hainan Island — about 320 miles southwest of Hong Kong — to stem the spread of COVID-19, according to The Associated Press.
According to The AP, there were 229 confirmed cases on Friday and an additional 129 on Saturday.
The outlet also reported that hotels are offering guests a 50% discount during the lockdown period.
China is sticking to its 'zero Covid' strategy, which involves sudden lockdowns and mass testing, which recently received criticism for being ineffective.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of The World Health Organization, said China's "Zero Covid" strategy was "not sustainable. "