Close to 30-million people across China are under some form of movement restriction to quell transmission
Pedestrians are shown in Pudong's Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China. File photo: BLOOMBERG/QILAI SHEN
China’s strict Covid-19-Zero approach is once again being tested as outbreaks flare across the country amid the arrival of a sub-variant that has fuelled rising caseloads elsewhere. Already, close to 30-million people nationwide are under some form of movement restriction to quell transmission, but authorities have steered clear of strict lockdowns in key economic regions so far.
For residents of Shanghai, where officials declared victory over the virus just last month, multiple rounds of testing and the lockdown of individual residential compounds is reviving difficult memories. Draconian measures kept the population sealed inside their homes for much of April and May, struggling to reliably access food and medical care, exacting an enormous economic toll and stirring some of the strongest antigovernment sentiment in years.
Cui, who didn’t want to provide his full name for fear of repercussions, said even with the easing of Shanghai’s lockdown at the start of June, business was just 30% of normal levels that month, not enough to cover the cost of renting his taxi. “I wonder if citizens in the entire country are all starved to death, how will those policymakers feel,” he said. Xu has ordered 8kg of rice, 30 rolls of toilet paper, a large bottle of cooking oil and bags of salt and sugar.
Lockdown reality has already hit some parts of Shanghai, with authorities sealing off buildings when cases, or close contacts of someone who tests positive, are detected.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oil prices fall as markets brace for new mass Covid-19 testing in ChinaThe market was rattled by news that China had discovered its first case of an Omicron subvariant in Shanghai and a jump in new infections
Read more »
COVID-19: Shanghai plans more Covid-19 testing amid fresh curbs across ChinaBEIJING, July 11 (Reuters) - Multiple Chinese cities are adopting fresh Covid-19 curbs, from business halts to lockdowns, to rein in new infections, with the commercial hub of Shanghai bracing for another mass testing effort after finding a highly-transmissible Omicron subvariant.
Read more »
China locks down city of 300,000 over single COVID-19 caseChina is the last major economy glued to a zero-COVID policy, crushing new outbreaks with snap lockdowns, forced quarantines and onerous travel curbs.
Read more »
Oil falls as new Covid curbs in China trim demand outlookPrices pulled lower by recession fears and sluggish demand in China
Read more »
Oil tumbles towards $100, as renewed Covid lockdowns in China and recession fears depress demand outlook | Businessinsider'Markets remain torn between recession fears in the US, Europe, and China torpedoing growth and thus, oil consumption,' Jeffrey Halley said.
Read more »
SPRINGBOK RUGBY ANALYSIS: Excusing results in the name of RWC development is not good enoughThe Springboks’ ‘growth for Rugby World Cup 2023’ experiment has left the world champions under pressure.
Read more »