Biggest lockdown since the start of the pandemic in China: the metropolis of Shanghai is (partly) locked

But that strict zero-covid policy is being put to the test by the more contagious but less sickening omikron variant. Tens of millions of people have already gone into lockdown in several parts of the country in recent weeks. Earlier this month, this was the case for the city of Shenzhen, an IT center and thus almost the Chinese counterpart of the American Silicon Valley.

The austerity is beginning to arouse more resentment among citizens, and it threatens to have significant repercussions on the Chinese economy, which lowered its growth expectations. Last week, Zhang Wenhong, head of the infectious diseases center, called on the government not to lose sight of the economy when fighting the corona virus.

–