COVID-19 Epidemic Ravaging Northeast China, Villages Evacuated, Livestock and Crops Left Behind

Occupants of a car are banned from leaving Ang'angxi district in Qiqihar as northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province declares an "emergency state," telling residents not to leave unless absolutely necessary, after new coronavirus cases were detected. AFP via Getty Images

China’s northeastern Heilongjiang Province has officially reported 448 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Jan. 18, but the public believes that the actual situation is much worse than the official data.

Wangkui county is the epicenter of the outbreak in the province. The situation is getting more severe, residents have told The Epoch Times. Local governments are enforcing stricter lockdown measures, and all residents are subject to mandatory testing. Many villages in Wangkui have been emptied out, with livestock and crops left behind unattended, they said.