COVID-19: China Orders Lockdowns, Mass Testing After Record Surge

China has ordered mass testing in the eastern city of Nanjing in Jiangsu province, as the country for the second day in a row reported a record number of COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began.

On Friday, China reported more than 33,000 infections in the past 24 hours, up from more than 31,000 reported on Thursday.

The numbers on Thursday and Friday surpassed a previous record set in April of just below 30,000 cases.

In Nanjing, authorities ordered mass testing set to begin on Saturday for five consecutive days.

Meanwhile, in Zhengzhou, home to the world’s largest iPhone factory, residents in eight districts have been told not to leave the area.

In the southeastern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, millions of people have also been ordered not to leave their homes without a negative virus test.

The Associated Press news agency reported that residents in some areas have been told not to leave their compounds, some of which have been fenced in.