China Covid Diktat: Officials hammer iron bars on homes amid Delta fear

• As China grapples with covid surge, reports emerge of residents being locked inside homes. Videos showing Chinese officials locking residents inside their homes have gone viral. Videos show personnel in hazmat suits placing iron bars over doors of people's homes. Then, they are hammering the iron bars in place to prevent anyone from leaving the house. The move is being seen as a repeat of the extreme tactics seen in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic. The last several weeks has seen the delta variant challenge China's grip on the pandemic. The current outbreak has sparked local lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions. On August 9, China's National Health Commission declared 143 new cases in 17 provinces. Of these new cases, 35 were imported from abroad and 108 were local cases. Jiangsu. The Commission of Health reported two cases in Nanjing City and 48 in Yangzhou City.