Reuters

Free testing has begun in the city of Ruili in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, after two people from Myanmar tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday.

The city, which has a population of around 210,000 , says that it has tested 60,000 residents since the campaign began in the last 24 hours.

The official People’s Daily says that currently, eight people are being treated across the province with symptoms, and five without. However, these figures also include international arrivals from flights.

On Sunday, there was major concern in the border city, after a 32-year-old Burmese woman and her 16-year-old nanny tested positive. They travelled with three children and another nanny on 3 September to stay at the first woman’s sister’s residence.

Global Times said on Tuesday that the women entered “illegally” and would be “held legally responsible”. It added that “those who helped and housed them” would also be punished.

All business operations and public transport has been halted in the city, and mask-wearing has been made mandatory in public places.

Many on Chinese social media have noted that the timing is bad for the city’s businesses to lock down, as in two weeks, the annual mid-autumn festival/golden week annual holiday (1-8 October) will begin, one of the most important times for the tourism industry.