From millions of people across China endured lockdowns on Sunday as virus cases doubled to nearly 3,400 and anxiety mounted over resilience of from the country”zero-COVID approach” in the face of the worst epidemic in two years.
A nationwide push in case has seen authorities close schools in Shanghai, lock down central neighborhoods in South tech central of Shenzhen as well as entire cities in the northeast, such as nearly 18 provinces battle groups of the omicron and delta variants.
the city of Jilin – center of the home in the northeast – was partially locked down Saturday, while the inhabitants of Yanji, an urban area of nearly 700,000 border residents of North Korea, have been confined to their homes Sunday.
China, where the virus was first detected in end of 2019, maintained a strict “zero-COVID” policy imposed by rapid lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing when clusters emerged. But the latest burst-updriven by the highly transmissible omicron variant and a spike in asymptomatic cases, testing efficacy of this approach.
Zhang Yan, a Jilin health commission official acknowledged that the response from local authorities had been lacking.
“The Emergency Response Mechanism in some areas is not strong enough,” he said at a press briefing. on Sunday. “Understanding is insufficient of characteristics of the omicron variant…and the judgment was inaccurate.”
Residents of Jilin has finished six rounds of mass testing, with the city reports more more than 2,200 cases of the omicron variant since Saturday.
The neighbor city of Changchun – an industrial base of 9 millions people – Was locked down Friday, while at least three other small cities have been locked down down since March 1.
The mayor of Jilin and the head of the Changchun health commission was removed from office on Saturday, said media reported, in a sign of the political imperative placed on local authorities to contain virus clusters.
COVID-zero?
But the tension shows, with officials increasingly urging more gentleness and more targeted measures to contain the virus, while economists warn that harsh crackdowns are hurting the economy.
In Shenzhen, the south city of about 13 millions at the Hong Kong border, locals are caught between the nerves over a new epidemic and anguish face to rapid and drastic measures aimed at crushing the clusters.
“It’s the worst since 2020,” a Shenzhen resident named Zhang told Agence France-Presse (AFP). “The closings are too abrupt, my friend woke up up in in the morning to find her building was sealed overnight without warning. His boss had to send him a mail laptop to her.”
Shenzhen Subdistrict of Futian, which was locked down Sunday is home at 300,000 people and a thriving commercial district. This shares land border crossing with Hong Kong, where the workload over in recent weeks has soared, alarming officials in Beijing.
hong kong currently at one of the world is highest death virus rate, car the omicron variant crosses its elderly population among which vaccine hesitancy is proliferating.
In the most grand from China city Shanghai, authorities temporarily locked down down individual schools, businesses, restaurants and shopping centers over fears of proximity rather than using mass quarantines.
Authorities have advised residents not to leave the city unless necessary and tourist attractions have begun requiring visitors to provide negative COVID-19 tests.
“I have friends who I hooked out with a few days ago but were suddenly quarantined recently,” Shanghai resident Serena Li told AFP.
The government’s approach will “protect citizens,” she said, adding: “In the long term runson good.”
Long queues were seen outside hospitals on Sunday as people rushed to get tested.
“There is no other way. We absolutely have to do what government worked out,” said Zhang, a data analysis specialist.
As case rises the country’s National Health Commission announced Friday that he would do rapid antigen tests available for citizens to buy online or clinics for “auto-test.”
Although nucleic acid testing will continue to be the main method of test, the move suggests that China might anticipate that official efforts will not be able to contain the virus.
Last week a Chinese top scientist says the country should aim to coexist with COVID-19[FEMININElikeothernationswhereomicronhasspread[FEMININEliked’autresnationsoùomicrons’estpropagélike fires.
From millions of people across China endured lockdowns on Sunday as virus cases doubled to nearly 3,400 and anxiety mounted over resilience of from the country”zero-COVID approach” in the face of the worst epidemic in two years.
A nationwide push in case has seen authorities close schools in Shanghai, lock down central neighborhoods in South tech central of Shenzhen as well as entire cities in the northeast, such as nearly 18 provinces battle groups of the omicron and delta variants.
the city of Jilin – center of the home in the northeast – was partially locked down Saturday, while the inhabitants of Yanji, an urban area of nearly 700,000 border residents of North Korea, have been confined to their homes Sunday.
China, where the virus was first detected in end of 2019, maintained a strict “zero-COVID” policy imposed by rapid lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing when clusters emerged. But the latest burst-updriven by the highly transmissible omicron variant and a spike in asymptomatic cases, testing efficacy of this approach.
Zhang Yan, a Jilin health commission official acknowledged that the response from local authorities had been lacking.
“The Emergency Response Mechanism in some areas is not strong enough,” he said at a press briefing. on Sunday. “Understanding is insufficient of characteristics of the omicron variant…and the judgment was inaccurate.”
Residents of Jilin has finished six rounds of mass testing, with the city reports more more than 2,200 cases of the omicron variant since Saturday.
The neighbor city of Changchun – an industrial base of 9 millions people – Was locked down Friday, while at least three other small cities have been locked down down since March 1.
The mayor of Jilin and the head of the Changchun health commission was removed from office on Saturday, said media reported, in a sign of the political imperative placed on local authorities to contain virus clusters.
COVID-zero?
But the tension shows, with officials increasingly urging more gentleness and more targeted measures to contain the virus, while economists warn that harsh crackdowns are hurting the economy.
In Shenzhen, the south city of about 13 millions at the Hong Kong border, locals are caught between the nerves over a new epidemic and anguish face to rapid and drastic measures aimed at crushing the clusters.
“It’s the worst since 2020,” a Shenzhen resident named Zhang told Agence France-Presse (AFP). “The closings are too abrupt, my friend woke up up in in the morning to find her building was sealed overnight without warning. His boss had to send him a mail laptop to her.”
Shenzhen Subdistrict of Futian, which was locked down Sunday is home at 300,000 people and a thriving commercial district. This shares land border crossing with Hong Kong, where the workload over in recent weeks has soared, alarming officials in Beijing.
hong kong currently at one of the world is highest death virus rate, car the omicron variant crosses its elderly population among which vaccine hesitancy is proliferating.
In the most grand from China city Shanghai, authorities temporarily locked down down individual schools, businesses, restaurants and shopping centers over fears of proximity rather than using mass quarantines.
Authorities have advised residents not to leave the city unless necessary and tourist attractions have begun requiring visitors to provide negative COVID-19 tests.
“I have friends who I hooked out with a few days ago but were suddenly quarantined recently,” Shanghai resident Serena Li told AFP.
The government’s approach will “protect citizens,” she said, adding: “In the long term runson good.”
Long queues were seen outside hospitals on Sunday as people rushed to get tested.
“There is no other way. We absolutely have to do what government worked out,” said Zhang, a data analysis specialist.
As case rises the country’s National Health Commission announced Friday that he would do rapid antigen tests available for citizens to buy online or clinics for “auto-test.”
Although nucleic acid testing will continue to be the main method of test, the move suggests that China might anticipate that official efforts will not be able to contain the virus.
Last week a Chinese top scientist says the country should aim to coexist with COVID-19[FEMININElikeothernationswhereomicronhasspread[FEMININEliked’autresnationsoùomicrons’estpropagélike fires.