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Shanghai (AFP) – Millions of people in the eastern part of China’s financial hub of Shanghai were confined to their homes on Monday to contain the country’s biggest COVID-19 outbreak.
Authorities announced a two-phase lockdown in the city of 25 million people on Sunday night for massive testing.
The announcement sparked a rush to markets by residents increasingly exasperated with authorities’ inability to contain the outbreak after three weeks of restrictive measures.
The government sought to avoid the harsh lockdowns applied in other Chinese cities, opting for targeted lockdowns so as not to affect Shanghai’s economy.
The city has become the main focus of covid-19 in China in recent weeks, and on Monday it registered a new record of 3,500 new infections.
The area confined Monday is the eastern district known as Pudong, which includes the city’s main international airport and financial district.
The closure will extend to Friday and then apply to the most populous sector of Puxi, the west of the city.
The Chinese government said steps have been taken “to contain the spread of the epidemic, ensure people’s well-being and health” and eradicate infections “as soon as possible.”
But in recent weeks, restrictive measures have been adopted at the neighborhood level, leaving many residents frustrated by repeated home confinements.
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Some claimed on Monday that they were given only hours notice for the new lockdown in half the city.
“We really don’t understand Shanghai’s management and control measures. There have been some inconsistencies,” complained a man who went by the surname Cao, as he stood in line at the supermarket.
“After so long (the city) has not controlled the virus and the numbers continue to rise,” he added.
The government has not specified how the measures will impact air transport or the city’s port.
fight for food
China has managed to keep the virus under control for the past two years with strict zero-tolerance measures that include massive city lockdowns even for few infections.
But the omicron variant proved difficult to eradicate and thousands of cases were reported daily in recent weeks.
The figures are insignificant globally, but they are a sharp increase from less than 100 infections per day in February.
Tens of millions of people in hot spots across China have faced lockdowns that appear to have helped contain the spread of the coronavirus.
However, the Shanghai authorities have insisted on the importance of keeping the city’s economic engine running.
A Shanghai resident complained on the Weibo social network about the frequent lockdowns in his neighborhood in recent weeks.
“Now even people’s basic livelihood has become a problem. Those who are not confined are struggling to buy food, and those who are are spending all night trying to buy food on apps,” the user posted.
© 2022 AFP
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