China has stuck to its “zero-Covid” policy, which requires mass testing, quarantining and anyone who has come into contact with an infected person, where hygiene is generally poor.
China has stuck to its “zero-Covid” policy, which requires mass testing, quarantining and anyone who has come into contact with an infected person, where hygiene is generally poor.
China’s capital has put school in one of its major districts online amid a new COVID-19 outbreak linked to a nightclub, while life has not returned to normal in Shanghai despite being closed for more than two months.
China has stuck to its “zero-Covid” policy, which requires mass testing, quarantining and anyone who has come into contact with an infected person, where hygiene is generally poor.
A total of 166 cases have been linked to the Haven Supermarket Club in the city’s Gongti nightlife area after an infected person visited there on Thursday. 145 of them were customers, while the rest were employees or people with whom the customers had contact later.
The entire area along with the adjacent Sanlitun Shopping and Dining Complex was closed until further notice. With the exception of students taking middle and high school placement exams, the outbreak prompted officials in Chaoyang district to bring school back online. Sports events have also been banned in the city. Chaoyang has ordered daily mass testing, which creates long lines and waits of two hours or more.
In Shanghai, 502 people have been linked to three positive tests found on June 9 among patrons of the Red Rose beauty salon. The individuals involved come from 15 districts in the city of 25 million people, prompting the first large-scale restrictions since the lockdown formally ended on June 1.
Streets and supermarkets emptied again over the weekend, with mass testing and restrictions on movement. Failure to pass the test will result in a yellow code on a person’s health status app, barring them from visiting all public places.
Most students stay at home and except a few restaurants, all are open for takeout only. Many customers simply share their food and drink on the stairs next to the flowering bushes outside the establishments.
While 22 million Shanghai residents were released from lockdown nearly two weeks ago, 220,000 are still confined to their homes under a rule that requires them to stay in their residential premises for more than 10 days. No positive case found. Another 6,00,000 are in containment zones, where their movements have been restricted within their premises.
Corrugated steel fences and other barriers continue to block neighborhoods and businesses, leading to further discontent and complaints among residents who are in lockdown.
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Due to the strict implementation of the lockdown, as well as the lack of information and poor distribution of food and other daily necessities, the display of anger and frustration is rarely seen. Residents have confronted workers and police who are known as “big whites” for the protective gear they wear, broadcasting protest videos online and nightly shouting and pot-banging incidents to let off steam. coordinate the.
The easing of restrictions has led to an exodus of non-Shanghai residents, including foreigners, who found themselves trapped in the lockdown.
Despite the recent outbreak, Beijing reported just 51 new cases on Monday, of which 22 were asymptomatic. City residents still undergoing routine testing – mostly every other day – and must wear masks and swipe mobile phone apps to enter public places and facilitate case tracing.
China has maintained its “zero-Covid” policy despite considerable economic costs and the head of the World Health Organization’s claim that the policy is not sustainable. Nationwide, China reported just 143 cases, almost all in Beijing and Shanghai. The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China held steady at 5,226.