The South China Morning Post reported that all 600,000 residents were told to shelter in place unless they had a note from their employer saying they must report for duty.

The lockdown means all businesses aside from grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies and gas stations, must close. Over the weekend, the Henan province reported one confirmed case in Luohe city. Local authorities said the infected person had been in contact with two Jai-based doctors who tested positive for the virus though they showed no symptoms.

China has worked hard to shed its image as the place where the virus originated and spread.