Residents of Anyang, Central China's Henan Province stand in line with their umbrellas in light rain for a second round of nucleic acid testing on January 10, 2022. Photo: VCG

A district in Anyang, Central China's Henan Province, announced on early Wednesday that it will impose a "curfew" in some areas amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the city. The announcement sparked controversy online where some people questioned if the word "curfew" was properly used. 

In the statement, local authorities in Anyang's Wenfeng district, said they will impose stricter anti-epidemic regulations starting from Wednesday. Residents will only be allowed to enter and leave their communities during a certain period of time in the morning and evening. 

It also said the "curfew" will be implemented after 7 pm in the restricted areas, during which time electric vehicles and pedestrians are prohibited to leave the district. All businesses should be completely closed, except for those providing essential materials.

However, officials later changed the word "curfew" to "upgraded preventative measures" in the notice after some people questioned if "curfew" is used properly in an anti-epidemic announcement.

"I understand all these new regulations put in place, but once they are under the name of 'curfew,' I would feel like I'm living in the Tang Dynasty (618-907)," said a Sina Weibo user.

The word "curfew" in Chinese is more commonly used in the context of maintaining public security in ancient times, when city gates were closed and patrols were sent out at night to check if anyone was outside. 

In modern society, a "curfew" is usually expected to be implemented in a state of war or civil emergency in a country. 

The Wenfeng district authorities did not explain why the word was changed. 

Anyang city reported 29 local confirmed cases on Wednesday, the highest number of daily cases in China. However, all cases are from Tangyin county, while Wenfeng district saw zero new infections.  

An official from the Henan government said at a press conference on Wednesday that the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Anyang is complex, with sporadic cases and infections spreading in rural areas.

Since January 8, 433 confirmed cases have been reported in Anyang, including 409 from Tangyin county and 19 from Wenfeng district.

Global Times