Covid-19 outbreak in China's summer vacation hotspots leave thousands stranded: Report
The lockdown in Lhasa was extended till August 18 after initial restriction imposed on August 8. The Ngari Prefecture of Tibet was also under lock down since August 11, disrupting the transportation between Shigatse, Lhasa, and Ngari Prefecture.
FollowChina's summer vacation hotspots are struggling to get Covid-19 outbreaks under control with the country witnessing its worst week of infections since mid-May. On Thursday, the number of daily Covid cases dropped to 2,678 from 3,424 a day earlier but the country has reported more than 18,000 local Covid cases in the last seven days.
On Wednesday, according to China News, Hainan reported as many as 1,499 cases as more than 100,000 of the 150,000 tourists remain stranded by the island's sudden lockdown.
China's zero-Covid policy forced lockdowns in Xinjiang and Tibet, creating widespread unrest in the economically underdeveloped regions.
The lockdown in Lhasa was extended till August 18 after initial restriction imposed on August 8. The Ngari Prefecture of Tibet was also under lock down since August 11, disrupting the transportation between Shigatse, Lhasa, and Ngari Prefecture.Â
In a bid to contain the novel coronavirus, Chinese authorities have been using the broad surveillance measures, previously used to quell dissent, to enforce lockdowns. Over the years, China has been using surveillance to crack down on Tibetan Buddhists and Uyghur Muslims. The measures have helped the authorities contain any public display of anger like those seen earlier this year in Shanghai.
While Chinese President Xi Jinping's strict zero-Covid policy has been hailed by the administration, the lockdown triggered protests and subsequent crackdown on the protesters as the restrictions severely impacted the trade and businesses of the residents.
About 430 civilian demonstrations have taken place across major population centers in China since January 2022. The primary trigger of the protests has been brutal enforcement of Covid lockdowns in high population density areas leading to delay in salary disbursement, scarcity of daily commodities and apparent apathy of the local governments.
