County Green Lights All Red Lights

In an unusual attempt at pandemic controls, traffic authorities in a Jiangxi Province county rigged all of its traffic lights to stop turning green to discourage people from traveling under risk of getting ticketed. According to media reports, the order came down on October 30 after Qianshan County confirmed a Covid-19 case. The local traffic bureau announced on WeChat that anyone caught running a red light would be punished according to local traffic regulations. The sudden policy forced many to cancel their scheduled travel plans and get stuck on the road. Local authorities lifted it on October 31. Netizens described the move as “lazy administration,” blaming officials for sacrificing residents’ interests to advance their political careers, and called on local governments to implement more flexible and considerate pandemic controls.