Shanghai – AFP
Chinese engineer Terry lives in eastern Shanghai, which has been locked up since Monday, playing electronic games over time to counter the worst outbreak of the “Kovit-19” epidemic, while using the freedom to dine outside the city, across the Huangpu River, before Maria closes its western half, starting Friday. .
China’s economic engine and its largest city, Shanghai, with a population of 25 million, have been cut in half by authorities trying new ways to control the virus, an unprecedented challenge to the country.
The city has now been the worst hub of “Govit-19” for two years, and on Wednesday, with the progression of the strain “Omigron”, it recorded about six thousand cases of the epidemic, which shook the adopted “zero Govt” strategy. By China to remove them wherever they appear. From New York and London to Bangkok and Tokyo, many major cities are beginning to remove health restrictions as they learn to live with the virus.
But unlike that, Shanghai has imposed locks in two phases, with authorities checking all residents and ordering them not to leave their homes.
“I can not leave home, I can not buy groceries, I can not go out with friends,” said Terry, who works at a government agency, using his English name from his apartment in Pudong.
The lock-in came into effect on Monday in Boot, after several weeks of local locks where virus cases appeared. But despite the reopening of Pudong as scheduled on Friday, the city is still far from overcoming the virus. Terry explained that uncertainty has a negative effect: “I am bored and my enthusiasm is low. I spent a lot of time indoors and could only watch TV, read books and play video games.
“Enjoy every weight”
In Buxi, the city’s most populous historic center, nightlife fans gathered outside this week ahead of a planned strike on Friday.
“I went out to dinner last night,” said Maria, an American who lives in the city.
“I try to do different things to maintain my mental health before the strike, which lasts at least five days and I can not leave the premises where I live,” he added. Shanghai authorities have sought to reduce the economic impact by issuing repeated strikes, granting tax breaks and exemptions to small businesses.
But financial institutions are taking control across the city, according to reports from employees living in the offices during the lockout. “I brought blankets and clothes to the office,” said Xian Shimin, a brokerage firm at Xinwan Hongyuan Group. Many residents are optimistic about facing the new closure, considering it a necessary evil after weeks of targeted operations with limited success.
Elsewhere, frustration over China’s tough approach to combating the virus is spreading, as empty shelves in stores show residents anxious for fresh food, and harsh comments are growing on social media.
One Weibo user wrote this week: “The whole world is back on track. We are the only country that still looks forward to the fear of 2019 and still lives with it.