China closes Guangzhou to most arrivals as outbreak spreads

BEIJING (AP) — The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou has closed itself to most arrivals as China battles a COVID-19 outbreak in its big eastern cities. Shanghai has taken the brunt of the surge, with another 26,087 cases Monday, only 914 of which showed symptoms. The city of 26 million is under a tight lockdown, with many residents confined to their homes for up to three weeks. No such lockdown has yet been announced for Guangzhou, a metropolis of 18 million. But most schools have switched online and an exhibition center was being converted into a hospital. China has stuck to its “zero-COVID” strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing, despite complaints in Shanghai over shortages of food and medical services.