China's border town of Ruili continues to face some of the strictest coronavirus control measures as it reports sporadic outbreaks since last year. Just 50 metres from Myanmar, Ruili also faces flying bullets due to the conflict in Myanmar.

Located in the southwestern province of Yunnan, Ruili has faced some of the hardest Covid-19 control measures imposed in China. It has seen at least four waves of Covid-19 infections leading to a slew of containment measures.

In July, the city got a surveillance system with facial recognition features to track residents with a view to preventing infections. China closed the border with Myanmar and built a barbed-wire fence along the borders.

In one of the latest moves, the city has been divided into three areas–red, yellow and green denoting high risk, middle risk and low risk respectively to control the spread of the virus. China has also repatriated foreign citizens and immigrants back across the borders.

One of the latest sign boards in Ruili 

The city has imposed mandatory quarantine for residents wanting to leave the city for 7-days,14-days and even 21-days. The self-funded quarantines for people have left them without work and livelihoods.

The locals have complained to the authorities and also on the Chinese social media about the self-paid mandatory quarantine measures in unhygienic rooms. The payment for the quarantine has to be done in advance.

China shares its southeastern border with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, where it has faced hurdles in controlling the virus. But now, it faces a new problem–bullets come flying in from the conflict-torn neighbour Myanmar.

China now plans to evacuate nearly 2,000 residents in Wanding town after houses were damaged and one person injured by stray bullets. People are reluctant to evacuate due to work and income issues which have been badly affected due to the infection and lockdowns.

Myanmar, which has been under a military rule since February this year has seen intense protests by common people as well as resistance to the junta forces from the numerous ethnic armed groups.

The gunfight that caused worry in China has been the result of fighting between ethnic Shan groups and the Myanmarese military. Now schools have been protected behind sandbags which have also been placed around areas with heavy pedestrian traffic.

People have been asked to take protective measures if fighting breaks out in Myanmar and to restrict their outdoor movements.

Ruili’s deputy mayor Yang Mou has made it clear that the administration will not relax the containment measures because the pandemic prevention and control situation in Ruili remained “severe and complex” because of its proximity to Myanmar.