The target will require officials to accelerate testing and the transfer of positive cases to quarantine centres

The new restrictions highlight broad supply chain disruptions that are seen likely to lead to delays in shipments from companies including Apple

Hundreds of toll stations at exits from highways and highway service stations have been shut in China this month, official data has shown.

About 30 people wearing hazmat suits with the word "police" on their back could be seen scuffling outside a housing compound, taking away at least one person

The disruptions are sending a new ripple through global supply chains for goods ranging from electric cars to iPhones

Raising hopes for a shift in policy, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a guide on home quarantining on its social media page

China has put Shanghai under a tight lockdown since late March and neighbouring Kunshan has also tightened curbs to control the country's biggest Covid-19 outbreak

Police warn increasingly frustrated residents not to spread false information or forge road passes or other clearance certificates

But the picture elsewhere was less hopeful as world stocks slipped to their lowest levels in almost a month

Nomura said at least 45 cities are implementing full or partial lockdowns, covering 373 million people – over a quarter of a population – and just over 40% of its GDP

Chinese stocks suffered their biggest fall in a month as Covid restrictions and inflation worries weighed heavily on investors

The southern Chinese city of Ningde, where CATL is headquartered, has tightened prevention and control efforts because of a spate of Covid-19 cases, the company said