1.7 m locked down in China's Anhui province

China placed 1.7 million people under lockdown in central Anhui province, where authorities reported nearly 300 new cases in the latest of a string of outbreaks testing Beijing's no-tolerance approach to Covid-19. The country is the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid strategy, responding to all cases with strict isolation orders and tough testing campaigns. The outbreak in Anhui -- where officials first found hundreds of cases last week -- comes as the Chinese economy begins to rebound from a months-long lockdown in Shanghai and disruptive Covid restrictions in the capital Beijing. Two counties in the province -- Sixian and Lingbi -- announced lockdowns last week, with more than 1.7 million residents only permitted to leave their homes if they are getting tested. -- AFP