China: Shanghai imposes lockdown to curb COVID-19 outbreak

The announcement, made late Sunday, sparked a run on grocery stores by people frustrated with officials' inability to put an end to the epidemic despite nearly three weeks of more disruptive tactics.

Team Newsable

Shanghai, First Published Mar 28, 2022, 12:47 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 28, 2022, 12:47 PM IST

Millions of people were confined to their homes on Monday as the eastern part of Shanghai was placed under lockdown to combat the country's largest continuing COVID-19 epidemic. The announcement, made late Sunday, sparked a run on grocery stores by people frustrated with officials' inability to put an end to the epidemic despite nearly three weeks of more disruptive tactics.

Authorities have imposed a two-phase lockdown on the metropolis of over 25 million people in order to conduct mass testing. To keep Shanghai's economy operating, the authorities avoided the heavy lockdowns that are common in other Chinese cities, instead opting for rolling localised lockdowns.

However, Shanghai has recently become China's Covid hotspot, and another record high was announced on Monday, with 3,500 new confirmed cases in the city. On Monday, the enormous eastern sector known as Pudong, which houses the main international airport and glitzy financial centre, was cordoned off. The lockdown will stay until Friday, when it will be lifted and the focus will shift to the more populated western Puxi district, which is home to the famous Bund riverside.

The administration stated that measures were being made to eradicate illnesses "as quickly as feasible." The unpredictability of recent neighborhood-level restrictions has left many individuals upset with repeated temporary confinements at home. The administration has not stated what effect this will have on Shanghai's main international airport or its bustling ports.

Also Read | Chinese aircraft black box retrieved, reports suggest it went down at speed of sound

For the past two years, China has mostly kept the virus under control by draconian zero-tolerance measures such as major lockdowns of cities and provinces in the event of even a small number of cases. For the past two weeks, China has recorded thousands of new cases every day.

These figures remain modest internationally, but they have increased dramatically from fewer than 100 per day in February. In response, tens of millions of inhabitants in sensitive locations across China have been forced to citywide lockdowns.

Also Read | At least 5 million residents under lockdown in China, Beijing on high alert ahead of Winter Olympics

Also Read | Wuhan scientists warn of new coronavirus strain NeoCov with high death, infection rate

For more reliable and latest news