bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Holly Chik

When the central Chinese city of Wuhan – the original epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic – implemented a lockdown on January 23, it was a bold measure to tackle the outbreak.
The lockdown of the city – with 11 million residents – saw its borders closed, incoming and outgoing flights cancelled, public transport halted, public gatherings banned and the movement of people restricted.
The move was acknowledged by the World Health Organisation as having “changed the course of a rapidly escalating and deadly epidemic”.


Since then, governments around the world have been imposing travel bans and lockdowns with various degrees of severity to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Here’s a summary of the situation in China and the other parts of the region:
Mainland China
China has temporarily suspended entry to almost all foreign nationals holding visas or residence permits to prevent a second wave caused by imported infections.
Meanwhile, Wuhan will lift its two-month lockdown on April 8, allowing its residents to leave the city, after the country declared that it has brought the outbreak under control.


Researchers said the travel bans and lockdown measures in Wuhan have “delayed the growth and limited the size of the Covid-19 epidemic in China.”
On April 1, China decided to lock down Jia county in Henan province, home to about 600,000 residents after reports of cases linked to a local hospital. Residents must have special permits to leave their home and must have their temperature taken and wear face masks for those trips.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong has closed its borders to all non-residents to stop an alarming surge of coronavirus infections, both imported and spread locally. All transit services at Hong Kong International Airport have also been suspended.
All visitors coming from overseas countries by plane will be denied entry to the city. Those entering from the mainland, Macau and Taiwan will also be barred if they have been to any overseas countries in the past 14 days. Yet travellers coming from Macau and Taiwan, including Hong Kong and non-Hong Kong residents, will be allowed in with a 14-day compulsory quarantine.
Strict lockdown ‘may be necessary’ with Hongkongers told to stay home
Hong Kong residents who have been out of town in the past two weeks will be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days.
The city has not gone into a complete lockdown but implemented restrictive measures, such as limiting public gatherings to four and shutting schools, cinemas, gyms, karaoke lounges, nightclubs and other social spots.
Singapore
All short-term visitors from anywhere in the world are not allowed to enter or transit through Singapore. Work pass holders and their dependents are only allowed into the city state if they provide essential services, such as in health care and transport.
From April 9, 11.59pm, all citizens, permanent residents and long term pass holders returning to Singapore will be required to serve a 14-day self-isolation at dedicated facilities.
All returnees who left the country from March 27 will bear the full cost of their 14-day stay.
Singapore couple arrested for leaking notice of school virus closures
Singapore is closing schools from April 8 and most workplaces from April 7. But essential services such as food establishments, markets and supermarkets, clinics, hospitals, utilities, transport and banking services will remain open.
It is also banning gatherings of more than 10 people outside work and school – and shutting bars, cinemas and other entertainment venues – until the end of April. The government also introduced penalties for restaurants which failed to keep customers one metre apart and urged residents to stay home and go out only to get essentials.
Malaysia
Visitors and holders of expatriate, student, dependent, temporary work or Malaysia My Second Home passes are not allowed to enter the country.
Malaysian citizens, their spouses and children holding long-term passes and permanent residents can return to Malaysia from abroad and are subject to a 14-day self-quarantine after arriving in the country. But they are not allowed to leave the country for holidays.

Malaysia is in partial lockdown, with all houses of worship and businesses, except shops selling food and daily necessities, shut. Mass movements and gatherings across the country are also prohibited, including religious, sports, social and cultural activities.
Philippines
The Philippines has banned entry of foreign nationals and temporarily suspended visa-free privileges of foreign nationals.
All previously-issued visas have been cancelled while the country has stopped issuing entry visas for visa-required foreign nationals.


The whole of Metro Manila is under a month-long lockdown with land, domestic air, and domestic sea travel to and from the National Capital Region suspended until April 14. Mass gatherings have also been banned.
India, Thailand and South Korea are also under different degrees of lockdown while Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan have yet to impose strict movement restrictions.

Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020.



Malaysia risks under-reporting of TB cases as ‘slow-burn epidemic’ persists

Repurposed kidney drug may offer hope to infertile women, Hong Kong study finds

Hong Kong is right to hold the line against US vaccine scepticism

Patients given more hope as study finds best time for lung cancer treatment

Disease

Coronavirus: What are the lockdown measures and travel bans in Asia?

A man in a face mask walks past barriers blocking access to buildings in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, epicentre of China's coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Reuters

epa08338253 An empty street in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 02 April 2020. The country has reported nearly 2,300 active cases of COVID-19 as of 02 April. EPA-EFE/FAZRY ISMAIL

Wuhan waits for coronavirus lockdown to end, but controls on movement likely to remain in force

Wuhan has been in lockdown since late January. Photo: Reuters

Coronavirus lockdown: how to cope – lessons from China on using the time positively, for self-discovery, learning to cook, working out

Changsha-based scriptwriter Zhang Yi shared her love of cooking with online fans. Photo: Courtesy of Zhang Yi

Kong Ning displays her artwork, Blue Sky Big Mask. Chinese artist Kong Ning displays her latest artworks, Blue Sky Big Mask, in Beijing on Sunday March 22, 2020. The artworks, consists of three parts to send out messages of deep breathing the clean air under blue sky, the moment of sadness brought by the novel coronavirus and her good wishes for the medical workers fighting against novel coronaries. 22MAR20 SCMP/Simon Song

Handout image received on March 30, 2020 shows Changsha-based scriptwriter Zhang Yi shared her love of cooking with online fans during the Convid-19 quarantine period. [01APRIL2020  FEATURES]CREDIT: Courtesy Zhang Yi

Handout image received on March 30, 2020 shows Beijing-based artist Kong Ning with her artwork. Kong says she had never been as productive as she had during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak. Feeling depressed thinking about the meaningless loss of life, and angered by the Wuhan governmentâs initial bungled response to the outbreak, she sketched and painted pictures of frontline medical workers during the lockdown period, 2020.[01APRIL2020  FEATURES]CREDIT: Courtesy Kong Ning

Handout image received on March 30, 2020 shows Shanghai-based fitness trainer Zoey Zhou who has developed her fitness brand during the covid-19 lockdown period, 2020.[01APRIL2020  FEATURES]CREDIT: CourtesyZoey Zhou

Kong Ning displays her work art Sadness Moment by wearing a ballon skirt painted with masks. Chinese artist Kong Ning displays her latest artworks, Blue Sky Big Mask, in Beijing on Sunday March 22, 2020. The artworks, consists of three parts to send out messages of deep breathing the clean air under blue sky, the moment of sadness brought by the novel coronavirus and her good wishes for the medical workers fighting against novel coronaries. 22MAR20 SCMP/Simon Song

Handout image received on March 30, 2020 shows Chinese zither player Chang Jing who practising calligraphy and making musical compositions during the covid-19 lockdown period, 2020.[01APRIL2020  FEATURES]CREDIT: Courtesy Chang Jing

Shanghai-based fitness trainer Zoey Zhou developed her own fitness brand during the coronavirus lockdown period. It’s an example of how Chinese people embraced being confined at home positively. Photo: Courtesy of Zoey Zhou

News

China

People & Culture

Coronavirus

Explainers & FAQs


The restrictions introduced in Wuhan, where the new virus was first reported, are being replicated in varying degrees around the region
Travel bans, compulsory quarantine and reduced freedom of movement for residents are a common feature



The restrictions introduced in Wuhan, where the new virus was first reported, are being replicated in varying degrees around the region.


Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

World Health Organization (WHO)

Health in China

The Philippines

Singapore

Malaysia

Explainers

Explainers: Politics

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)


Explainer