Shutdowns spread in China as coronavirus infections rise

Access to Guangzhou, an industrial centre of 19 million people near Hong Kong, was suspended this week. Other cities are cutting off access or closing factories and schools

The skyline of Beijing is reflected in the sunglasses of a woman wearing a face mask (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

Anti-coronavirus controls that have shut down some of China’s biggest cities and fuelled public frustration are spreading as infections rise, hurting a weak economy and prompting warnings of possible global shockwaves.

Shanghai is easing rules that confined most of its 25 million people to their homes after complaints they had trouble getting food. But most of its businesses still are closed.