People in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have taken to the streets to protest the government's stringent coronavirus restrictions.

Hong Kong media reported that a massive protest broke out in Guangzhou City's Haizhu district on Monday night.

Footage released by Reuters news agency shows crowds crashing through COVID barriers installed by the authorities, demanding the blockade be lifted.

The district has been placed under localized lockdowns following the spread of the coronavirus since late October. The ban has continued for more than two weeks in some areas.

A resident spoke with NHK and complained of not being able to go to the hospital under the restrictions and not receiving supplies of daily necessities.

The demonstration is seen as a show of residents' frustration over the restrictions under President Xi Jinping's ongoing zero-COVID policy.

Many of the protesters are believed to be migrant workers staying in the city. Local authorities are reportedly sending them back to their home provinces. Large busses were seen leaving the lockdown areas on Tuesday.