A medical worker stands in a mobile coronavirus testing cabin on March 15, 2022 in Chengdu, China. China’s “non-dynamic” Covid policy has kept the border mostly closed to international travelers and made it more alienated as other countries try to live with the coronavirus.
An Yuan | China News Service | beautiful pictures
The southwestern Chinese city announced a lockdown of its 21.2 million residents as it rolled out four days of citywide Covid-19 testing, as some of the country’s most populous and economically important cities disease outbreak countries.
People in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, were ordered to stay home from 6 p.m. Thursday, with households allowed to send one person a day to shop for essentials, the city government said in a statement. declare.
Chengdu, which reported 157 domestic infections on Wednesday, is China’s largest city to be locked down since Shanghai in April and May. It is not yet clear whether the ban will be lifted after the lockdown. whether the mass testing ends on Sunday or not.
Other major cities including Shenzhen in the south and Dalian in the northeast have also stepped up Covid restrictions this week, from work-from-home requirements to the closure of entertainment businesses location in some counties.
The moves limit the movement of tens of millions of people, intensifying the challenge for China to mitigate the economic impact of the “no-go” Covid policy that has kept China’s borders largely closed. to international visitors and make it more alienated as other countries try to live with the coronavirus.
Most of the curbs are expected to last for the next few days, although two provincial cities in northern China have widened their curbs a bit more than initially promised.
The closure in Chengdu has caused panic in people’s shopping for essentials.
28-year-old engineer Kya Zhang said: “I am waiting in a long line to get to the grocery store near my house.
Hwabao Trust economist Nie Wen said that as Chengdu was closed quickly, it was unlikely to see Shanghai’s two-month ordeal repeat.
Non-essential employees in Chengdu were asked to work from home and residents were asked not to leave the city unless necessary. Residents who have to leave their neighborhood for a hospital or other special need must be approved by neighborhood staff.
Industrial companies engaged in critical manufacturing sectors and may manage on closed campuses have been exempt from the work-from-home requirements.
Switzerland Volvo Cars said it will temporarily close its factory in Chengdu.
Flights to and from Chengdu have been cut significantly, according to Flight Master data. At 10 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) on Thursday, it showed 398 flights had been canceled at Shuangliu airport in Chengdu, with a cancellation rate of 62%. At Chengdu’s Tianfu Airport, 79%, or 725 flights, were cancelled.
Shenzhen Roadside
In Shenzhen, which has the third-highest economic output among Chinese cities, Baoan’s most populous district and tech hub Nanshan suspended large events and indoor entertainment for several days and out stricter checks on digital health information for people entering residential areas.
Nanshan is home to internet giant Tencent and the world’s largest drone maker, DJI, among other major Chinese companies.
More than half of Shenzhen’s ten districts, home to more than 15 million people, have ordered the closure of all entertainment venues and the suspension or reduction of restaurant dining for a few days. , with curbs in two counties originally scheduled to be removed late Thursday.
The Shenzhen government has largely avoided closing offices and factories as they did during the week-long shutdown in March.
Data on Thursday showed Chinese factory activity shrank for the first time in three months in August amid weak demand, while power shortages and the new Covid-19 outbreak disrupted operations. production motion.
In Shanghai, schools reopened on Thursday after being closed for months.
Mainland China has not reported Covid deaths since May, the death toll is 5,226.
