Status: 04/01/2022 12:38 p.m
The lockdown in Shanghai is being extended to the west of the metropolis. After four days of curfew, the residents in the east are actually allowed to leave their homes once more. But that doesn’t apply to everyone.
The second stage of the eight-day lockdown has begun in the Chinese city of Shanghai. A strict curfew is now in place for four days for 16 million residents in the western part of the city. They should all be tested for the virus.
In the first step of the lockdown, the east and south of the city were sealed off. After four days, the people there should be able to leave their homes once more. The measure is now being extended for everyone in whose homes Corona cases have been discovered.
Limits of the Zero Covid Strategy
The National Health Commission in China said 1,787 new infections were registered nationwide on Thursday. 358 of them were in Shanghai. Another 5,442 people tested positive for the virus but were not ill – 4,144 of them in Shanghai. In China, asymptomatic infections are reported separately.
The Chinese government is pursuing a zero-Covid strategy. Previously, it was able to contain minor outbreaks with lockdowns, mass testing, and quarantine, but now it’s reaching its limits with the more contagious Omicron BA.2 variant.
Public transport has been suspended
The lockdown in Shanghai is planned over two phases to test all 26 million residents for the corona virus. City officials and volunteers go through the streets in full protective gear and use megaphones to call on residents to report to designated locations for the corona test. Some people have to wait in line for the tests for up to 90 minutes.
Roads have been closed and public transport has been suspended. In some residential complexes, the gates were even locked from the outside. Food and other essential goods are delivered to collection points.
criticism of the measures
There has been sharp criticism of the measures taken in the past few days on social networks. “Is the aim of this lockdown to starve us?” asked a user on the Chinese online network Weibo.
Even state media reported difficulties, for example with the supply of food and medicine. Shanghai Municipal Government Secretary-General Ma Chunlei apologized to residents for the inconvenience.
German companies are concerned
German companies are also concerned regarding China’s zero-Covid strategy because it might have economic consequences. The German Chamber of Commerce in China called on the authorities to be more transparent regarding the corona measures. The lockdowns would have a serious impact on logistics, warehousing and supply chains for half of the companies organized in the Chamber of Commerce.
