China locks down city of 9 million amid new spike in cases
Beijing, Mar 11: China on Friday ordered a lockdown of the 9 million residents of the northeastern city of Changchun amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases in the area attributed to the highly contagious omicron variant.
Residents are required to remain at home, with one family member permitted to venture out to buy food and other necessities every two days. All residents must undergo three rounds of mass testing, while non-essential businesses have been closed and transport links suspended.
The latest lockdowns, which also include Yucheng with 500,000 people in the eastern province of Shandong, show China is sticking to the draconian approach to the pandemic it has enforced for most of the past two years, despite some earlier indications that authorities would be implementing more targeted measures.
China reported another 397 cases of local transmission nationwide on Friday, 98 of them in Jilin province that surrounds Changchun, a center of the country's auto industry. In the entire province, cases have exceeded 1,100 since the latest outbreak first struck late last week.
Just two cases were reported within Changchun itself on Friday, bringing its total to 78 in recent days. Authorities have repeatedly pledged to lock down any community where one or more cases are found under China's zero tolerance approach to the pandemic.
Another 93 cases were confirmed in the nearby city of Jilin that bears the same name as the surrounding province. Authorities have already ordered a partial lockdown in the city and severed travel links with other cities.
Officials of the Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University have been sacked after a cluster of infections was reported on campus and students complained on social media that those who tested positive were being confined in school libraries and other buildings in poor conditions.
The school has registered 74 confirmed cases and transferred more than 6,000 people to quarantine, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Aerial images showed students in hazmat suits lining up in the cold and dark waiting to be transferred.
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Rahul Dravid will have to reapply if he wants to continue as head coach after June: Jay Shah
Mumbai, May 10: India head coach Rahul Dravid will have to reapply if he wishes to continue in the job after his tenure ends with next month's T20 World Cup, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has said while making it clear that the new appointment will be for a three-year term.
Dravid, who had a two-year contract originally, was given an extension along with his support staff after the conclusion of the 50-overs World Cup in November last year.
"We will call for applications in the next few days. Rahul Dravid's tenure is coming to an end. He has to reapply if he has to continue. We are looking for a long-term coach, for three years," Shah told select media during an interaction at the BCCI office here on Thursday.
The BCCI secretary said there has been no precedent of having different coaches for different formats but ultimately the decision rests with the Cricket Advisory Committee. The CAC comprises Jatin Paranjape, Ashok Malhotra and Sulakshana Naik.
"There is no precedent of different coaches for different format in Indian cricket. Besides, we have a number of players who are all-format players. There are many common players across formats such as Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma," he said.
"Ultimately, this is the Cricket Advisory Committee's call. I have to implement what they decide," he added.
Shah said even a foreign coach can be considered depending on the CAC's recommendations.
"If the CAC selects a foreign coach, I can't interfere," he added.
The BCCI secretary informed that the vacant post of one national selector is expected to be filled up soon.
"A few interviews for the selector's post have already happened. We will announce it soon," he said.
Greg Barclay's role as the chairman of the International Cricket Council ends later this year but Shah remained non-committal on running for the position.
"Let me be here in BCCI. Let there be speculation. But let me be here (in the BCCI). Am I not doing a good job?" he asked.
"India sending experienced team for T20 World Cup"
Shah said India are sending an experienced team to the T20 World Cup owing to the fact that conditions in the USA are unknown.
"The team is leaving in two batches, those who will be free before (the playoffs) will leave on May 24. The rest of them will leave after the final," he said.
"We have an experienced team; a better team couldn't have been selected. We have selected the best 15 players possible. We have a batting line up till Nos. 8 and 9. We have selected experienced players who can play in all conditions," he added.
Shah rejected the talk that India, England and Australia are in talks to revive the franchise-based competition Champions League T20.
Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins had claimed in a media interaction here last month that the three boards are in talks to revive the competition.
"The Cricket Victoria CEO has not spoken to me about this. No such discussions are taking place. I would have told you had I been a part of any talks," Shah said.
He also said the ICC has not approached BCCI on the topic of creating windows for country-based T20 leagues.
"That is ICC's prerogative. It is a fact that the ICC is not touching the IPL. In fact, they have given it a two-and-a-half month window instead of just about two months, we are grateful to the ICC for that," he said.
Shah said the board will speak to the ICC about hosting the World Test Championship final at a different venue from 2027. The first two editions of Test cricket's summit clash have been organised in England, including the one for the current 2023-25 cycle.
"We have spoken about the ICC for 2027. There are only three main Test centres, India, England and Australia. You cannot hold it in Australia during that window or even in India. Even in Bengaluru, it rains during that time," he said.
