Millions more people have been ordered to stay indoors as China battles to curb the spread of a new virus that authorities said on Wednesday has already killed nearly 500 people.
With more than 24,000 cases in China, a growing number of cities have been imposing a range of restrictions in recent days far from central Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak.
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Global concerns have risen as cases continue to spread abroad, with 10 people testing positive for the virus on a ship quarantined off the coast of Japan.
In Hangzhou, some 175 km southwest of Shanghai, fences blocked streets near the headquarters of Chinese tech giant Alibaba as a fighter jet circled overhead.
The firm is based in one of three Hangzhou districts subject to new restrictions that allow only one person per household to go outside every two days to buy necessities. “Please don’t go out, don’t go out, don’t go out!” blared a message on a loudspeaker urging people to wear masks, wash their hands regularly and report any people who are from Hubei — reflecting a common fear that people from the province might infect others.
At least three other cities in Zhejiang province — Taizhou, Wenzhou and parts of Ningbo — have imposed the same measures, affecting 18 million people.
Similar restrictions have been put in place in Heilongjiang province on the Russia border. In Zhumadian, authorities said one person would be allowed to leave each household only every five days.
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