Amid discussions about whether or not to ease the Covid-zero policy in the country while cities in different parts of the country have spikes in cases of the disease, the Chinese capital, Beijing, has tightened restrictions to try to contain an accelerated escalation of cases this month. This Tuesday (22), there was a new record of infections by Covid-19 in 24 hours.
The local government closed parks, schools, restaurants and other establishments with large public circulation after the cases of coronavirus skyrocketed – they rose from 621 on Sunday (20) to 1,438 this Tuesday. Across the country, 28,157 infections were recorded, a figure that is close to the highest daily mark, recorded in April.
The main outbreaks are in the province of Guangdong and the city of Chongqing, with more than 16,000 and 6,300 new cases, respectively.
Sun Chunlan, vice premier who spearheaded the Covid-zero policy, visited the city of Chongqing on Monday (21) and urged local authorities to maintain restrictive measures to try to control the outbreak, according to the municipality.
Three elderly Beijing residents, who according to local media had comorbidities, died of the disease over the weekend – the first deaths from the virus since May in China. Two other deaths were linked to Covid between Monday and Tuesday.
While the capital has avoided a complete lockdown, the Beijing government has quarantined several buildings and required a negative test result within the last 24 hours to allow entry to most public places.
Global financial center, Shanghai announced that from this Thursday (24) the entry of new arrivals in shopping centers and restaurants will be prohibited, until people have been in the city for at least five days. Commuting to offices and using public transport was maintained.
The metropolis, with 25 million inhabitants, had previously determined the closure of cultural and entertainment venues in 7 of its 16 districts. Guangzhou, in the south of the country, on Monday ordered a five-day lockdown in Baiyun, its most populous district, home to 3.7 million people.
The wave of infections tests China’s resilience in maintaining the newly announced adjustments to the Covid-zero policy. The new guideline urges cities to be more objective in restricting measures and avoid widespread lockdowns or testing, which have strangled the economy and frustrated residents in different parts — leading to demonstrations of opposition to the regime.
Some cities canceled large-scale Covid-19 testing last week, but others have resumed the measure, citing difficulties in controlling the transmission of the omicron variant BA.5.2i —unlike the strain that has been causing increases in cases in the US, Europe and in Brazil, BQ.1. The northern city of Shijiazhuang, for example, had canceled large-scale exams but has now started a partial lockdown.
The regime still argues that the Covid-zero policy, a signature of China’s leader Xi Jinping, saves lives and is necessary to prevent the health system from becoming overwhelmed.
On social networks, however, users of the Weibo platform expressed frustration by contrasting the strict local measures with what has been seen at the World Cup in the Middle East. “Tens of thousands [de torcedores] in Qatar they don’t wear masks. And we are still in a panic,” wrote a Chinese person on the network.
Experts warn that full reopening requires an effort to boost mass vaccination. Chinese officials, meanwhile, say they plan to expand hospital capacity and are formulating a vaccination plan.
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