China locks down 21 million in Chengdu in Covid-19 outbreak

Commuters wearing face masks ride bicycles near the China Central Television (CCTV) building in the central business district in Beijing on September 1, 2022. [AP Photo]

Chinese authorities have locked down Chengdu, a southwestern city of 21 million people, following a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Residents have been ordered to stay home, and about 70 per cent of the flights have been suspended to and from the city, a major transit hub in Sichuan province and a governmental and economic center.