Health

China announces biggest citywide lockdown since Covid outbreak began more than two years ago


China is set to kick off its biggest citywide shutdown since Covid first hit more than two years ago, with Shanghai set to begin shutting down its eastern half from Monday.

Provided by Omicron, officials have confirmed that a similar shutdown will take place west of China’s largest city on April 1.

The capital of 25 million people has in recent days become the top hotspot in a nationwide outbreak that began to accelerate in early March.

While the number of recent cases is insignificant in a global context, it is China’s highest number since the first weeks of the pandemic, with more than 4,500 new cases spreading domestically according to the International Health Commission. Chinese country.

This is down more than 1,000 from the day before but is still much higher than the double-digit daily figure commonly seen over the past few years.

Millions of residents in affected areas around the country have been locked down across the city.

China is set to kick off its biggest citywide shutdown since Covid first hit more than two years ago, with Shanghai set to begin shutting down its eastern half from Monday (medical workers wear protective gear in Jing'an, Shanghai)

China is set to kick off its biggest citywide shutdown since Covid first hit more than two years ago, with Shanghai set to begin shutting down its eastern half from Monday (medical workers wear protective gear in Jing’an, Shanghai)

Image of a man being tested for Covid-19 at a makeshift nucleic acid testing site behind the barriers of a locked area in Shanghai.  Supplied by Omicron, officials have confirmed that a similar shutdown will occur west of China's largest city on April 1.

Image of a man being tested for Covid-19 at a makeshift nucleic acid testing site behind the barriers of a locked area in Shanghai. Supplied by Omicron, officials have confirmed that a similar shutdown will occur west of China’s largest city on April 1.

However, Shanghai has so far avoided a total lockdown, with officials saying it is imperative to keep China’s eastern port and financial hub afloat, in the interest of the whole economy. national and global.

But with the number of cases soaring, the city government said in a public announcement that a two-part containment was being implemented ‘to limit the spread of the disease, ensure the safety and health of people. population’ and deal with the earliest infections’. the better’.

The vast eastern half of the city, known as Pudong, which includes the main international airport and financial district, will be closed for testing starting Monday morning and ending April 1.

On April 1, the western half of the city, known as Puxi and home to the historic Bund waterfront, will be closed until April 5, the government added.

While the number of recent cases is insignificant in a global context, it is China's highest number since the first weeks of the pandemic, with more than 4,500 new cases spreading domestically according to the International Health Commission. Chinese country.  Image of medical staff in Shanghai

While the number of recent cases is insignificant in a global context, it is China’s highest number since the first weeks of the pandemic, with more than 4,500 new cases spreading domestically according to the International Health Commission. Chinese country. Image of medical staff in Shanghai

Shanghai has so far avoided a total lockdown, with officials saying it is imperative to keep China's eastern port and financial hub afloat, for the benefit of the whole national economy. and global.  A man is being tested for Covid near Shanghai Jing'an Central Hospital

Shanghai has so far avoided a total lockdown, with officials saying it is imperative to keep China’s eastern port and financial hub afloat, for the benefit of the whole national economy. and global. A man is being tested for Covid near Shanghai Jing’an Central Hospital

People are asked to stay at home during the lockdown, and all business and government employees not involved in providing essential services are advised to work from home.

Those involved in the provision of vital services such as gas, electricity, transportation, sanitation and food supply will be exempt from the stay-at-home order.

The notice said buses, taxis and the city’s vast metro system would be shut down, but made no mention of operations at its major port, or any impact on air travel. air or rail service in and out of Shanghai.

On Saturday, a member of the city’s pandemic task force vowed that Shanghai would not close.

Wu Fan, a medical expert with the task force, said: ‘If Shanghai, our city, were to completely shut down, there would be many international cargo ships floating in the East China Sea, ‘ city government.

People are asked to stay at home during the lockdown, and all business and government employees not involved in providing essential services are advised to work from home.  Image of people queuing for tests at Shanghai Jing'an Central Hospital

People are asked to stay at home during the lockdown, and all business and government employees not involved in providing essential services are advised to work from home. Image of people queuing for tests at Shanghai Jing’an Central Hospital

The Chinese government has previously controlled the virus nationwide through strict zero-tolerance measures including mass lockdowns of entire cities and provinces for a small number of cases.  Staff wearing PPE in Shanghai

The Chinese government has previously controlled the virus nationwide through strict zero-tolerance measures including mass lockdowns of entire cities and provinces for a small number of cases. Staff wearing PPE in Shanghai

‘This will affect the entire national economy and the global economy.’

The Chinese government has previously controlled the virus nationwide through strict zero-tolerance measures including mass lockdowns of entire cities and provinces for a small number of cases.

However, authorities were alarmed when they saw an increase in Omicrons in Hong Kong that has confused public opinion and caused the number of unvaccinated elderly people in the southern Chinese city to soar.

The subsequent spread of this variant in mainland China posed a dilemma for authorities grappling with a forceful response, with a zero-tolerance approach increasingly called into question. amid concerns about the economic impact and ‘pandemic fatigue’, especially when considering Omicron’s less severe symptoms.

Shanghai has sought to defuse disruption with a targeted approach to the current outbreak, marked by a 48-hour lockdown on individual residential areas combined with extensive testing. large scale, but otherwise keep the city afloat.

But the softer strategy to date has failed to reduce the city’s case numbers, and local closures have sparked online complaints and a rush of grocery stores in one area. county number.



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