The Chinese metropolis of Chengdu will impose a comprehensive city-wide lockdown on Thursday night, confining 21 million residents to their homes as the country bends its Covid zero policy ahead of a major Communist Party meeting. .
All residents in the capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province were required to stay at home from 6pm, except for mandatory Covid testing. Mass testing will take place from Thursday (1) to Sunday (4), the city government said.
Families can send a person shopping once a day with a negative test, and residents with emergency requests, such as seeking medical care, must get approval from a neighborhood committee.
All businesses must be closed except supermarkets, pharmacies and hospitals. Dining in restaurants is also being suspended, with only takeaways allowed.
This is China’s biggest city-wide lockdown since Shanghai, the financial hub of 25 million people, which emerged from a painful two-month lockdown in June.
Shanghai was reporting thousands of infections a day in late March as it entered lockdown. As of Wednesday (31), Chengdu reported 156 cases, bringing the total number of cases last week to more than 700.
China is one of the last places in the world still enforcing strict Covid zero measures, which rely on extensive digital surveillance, mass testing, extensive quarantines and rapid lockdowns.
The strategy has faced increasing challenges posed by the highly infectious Omicron variant, with authorities across China struggling to contain outbreaks. In the last 10 days, new local cases were reported in all 31 provinces and regions of mainland China.
In the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, authorities this week shut down Huaqiangbei, the world’s biggest electronics market, shutting down dozens of neighborhoods and suspending service at 24 subway stations and hundreds of bus stations across the city.
In the northern port city of Dalian, a lockdown was imposed on Thursday (1st) and is expected to last until Sunday (4th) in its main urban areas, affecting about 3 million residents.
In Shijiazhuang, capital of northern China’s Hebei province, authorities suspended city-wide public transport over the weekend after 30 infections were found during mass testing. Four districts ordered more than 3 million residents to work from home as of Wednesday afternoon.
In western China, Xining, the capital of Qinghai province and home to 2.5 million people, ordered a Monday-Thursday lockdown in its urban areas and suspended public transport.
Continuing lockdowns have hampered economic growth. In July, youth unemployment in China hit a record high, with one in five young people unemployed.
While initially supporting the zero-tolerance approach, the Chinese public grew increasingly frustrated with the never-ending restrictions on their daily life. The often relentless and chaotic application of policy by local governments further fueled public anger and resentment.
Despite the economic and social cost, Chinese leaders have repeatedly promised to stick to the zero Covid policy, insisting it is saving lives. Health officials say the relatively low vaccination rate among China’s elderly population and inadequate rural health capacity are obstacles to moving away from Covid zero.
Local authorities across China are under enormous pressure to prevent the outbreaks from spreading just weeks before an important Communist Party meeting. Maintaining social stability has always been a top priority in preparing for important political events.
The 20th Party Congress, scheduled to start on October 16, is expected to see Chinese leader Xi Jinping extend his power for another five years.
Some Chinese who have become disillusioned with Covid-zero restrictions are hoping for a relaxation of restrictions after the congress, but the government has not offered any timetable on a possible change in policy.
News of the Chengdu city-wide lockdown follows days of speculation that authorities were considering the move.
On Monday, a Chengdu resident named “Rainforest” on WeChat, China’s popular messaging app, said in a group chat that authorities would discuss the possibility of imposing a lockdown on a night meeting. Screenshots of his messages were leaked and went viral on social media, prompting residents to buy groceries and daily necessities at supermarkets.
On Tuesday, Chengdu police said that WeChat user surnamed She caused panic among citizens and disrupted epidemic prevention work by posting “provocative comments”. She was detained for 15 days and fined 1,000 yuan for “provoking fights and causing trouble”.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
