Residents in Ruili town, Yunnan province have expressed their frustration over prolonged pandemic restrictions as the China-Myanmar border town braces for a new wave of Covid-19 infections.

Locals have complained of allegedly poor facilities in government-arranged quarantine sites. Footage shows dirty tap water flowing from a sink, while patients were made to sleep on beds without sheets.

The gateway town in southwestern China is not under strict lockdown, but residents have become angry at prolonged travel restrictions which they say have stifled their livelihoods.

Repeated coronavirus outbreaks, as well as armed conflict between Myanmar’s junta and Shan troops at the border, have prompted the evacuation of more than 5,000 people in Ruili.

Those who wish to leave the town must also undergo at least seven days of self-funded quarantine.

Ruili deputy mayor Yang Mou said in a press conference that the local government will not relax restrictions since the situation was still ‘severe and complex.’

Meanwhile, the epidemic prevention and control group has set up hotlines reportedly to gather feedback and improve on its pandemic response.