On Sunday, millions across China went into lockdown as Covid-19 cases tripled after a spike in infections in the northeast caused the worst outbreak the country has experienced in two years.
On Sunday, Chinese authorities reported 1,938 new cases of coronavirus infection, three times the number on Saturday.
Stricter controls have been put in place for those who want to access Shanghai, and services in the eastern port city of more than 24 million have been suspended after their cases surged by 15 to 432.
Anyone who wants to enter Shanghai must take a Covid-19 test.
A nationwide spike in cases has led authorities to close schools in Shanghai and lockdown downtown areas in the southern city of Shenzhen.
The neighboring mainland cities of Jilin and Changchun in the northeast account for about three-quarters of the total cases, with 1,412 cases.
Entry to Changchun, which is adjacent to Jilin City in China’s Jilin Province, has been suspended and families have also been ordered to stay at home.
On Sunday, millions across China went into lockdown as Covid-19 cases tripled after a spike in infections in the northeast caused the worst outbreak the country has seen in two years (the woman pictured in Shanghai, China, on Sunday). )
Stricter controls have been put in place for those who want to access Shanghai, with services in the eastern port city of over 24 million suspended after their cases rose by 15 to 432 (health workers in a makeshift trial for Covid-19). site in Shanghai)
The number of infected people is small compared to other Covid co-existing countries like the UK, but the authorities are implementing a “zero Covid” policy aimed at finding and quarantining every infected person in China.
There is growing concern about the persistence of the country’s zero-tolerance policy in the face of this outbreak.
Another 18 provinces in the northeastern cities are battling clusters of Omicron and Delta variants.
Jilin City, which is at the center of the outbreak in the northeast, was partially locked down on Saturday, while residents of Yanji, an urban area of nearly 700,000 that borders North Korea, were locked in their homes on Sunday.
China, where the virus was first detected in late 2019, has a strict “zero Covid” policy enforced by rapid lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing as clusters emerge.
Anyone who wants to enter Shanghai must take a Covid-19 test. On Sunday, Chinese authorities reported 1,938 new cases of coronavirus, triple the number on Saturday. (Guards at the gated entrance to a public park in Shanghai, pictured Sunday)
A nationwide spike in cases has led authorities to close schools in Shanghai and lockdown downtown areas in the southern city of Shenzhen (Shanghai residents queue for a Covid-19 test at a residential complex on Sunday).
But the latest outbreak, sparked by a highly contagious variant of Omicron and a surge in asymptomatic cases, is testing the effectiveness of this approach.
Zhang Yan, a spokesman for the Jilin Provincial Health Commission, acknowledged that there had been no response from local authorities.
“The emergency response mechanism in some areas is not robust enough,” he said at a press briefing on Sunday.
“Insufficient understanding of the characteristics of the Omicron variant … and the judgment was inaccurate.”
Jilin residents have completed six rounds of mass testing, and the city has reported more than 2,200 cases of infection with the Omicron variant since Saturday.
China, where the virus was first detected in late 2019, has a strict “zero Covid” policy backed up by quick lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing as clusters emerge (the man pictured guards the entrance to an apartment building closed due to the coronavirus pandemic) . spike in Covid cases in Shanghai on Sunday)
The nearby city of Changchun, an industrial base of nine million people, was put on lockdown on Friday, while at least three other smaller cities have been on lockdown since March 1.
State media reported that on Saturday the mayor of Jilin City and the head of the Changchun Health Commission were fired from their positions in a political imperative placed on local authorities to contain the spread of the virus.
Officials are increasingly calling for softer and more targeted measures to contain the spread of the virus, and economists are warning that tough restrictions are hurting the economy.
In Shenzhen, a southern city of about 13 million that borders Hong Kong, residents have been squeezed between nerves by a new outbreak and worries about swift draconian measures to crack down on clusters.
The local government announced on Sunday that a tech hub in southern China has been placed on a citywide lockdown after it reported 66 new coronavirus cases and shut down the central business district.
The city of about 17 million, located on the border with Covid-stricken Hong Kong, is home to tech giants including Huawei and Tencent and has ordered residents to stay home to quell the Omicron outbreak.
In recent days, they have already closed non-essential establishments and banned dining in restaurants.
“This is the worst figure since 2020,” a Shenzhen resident named Zhang told AFP.
There is growing concern about the persistence of the country’s zero-tolerance policy in the face of this outbreak. 18 more provinces in northeastern cities struggle with clusters of Omicron and Delta variants (a volunteer disinfects an area during snowfall during the Covid lockdown in Changchun, Jilin province on Saturday)
The nearby city of Changchun, an industrial base of nine million people, was closed on Friday, while at least three other smaller cities have been closed since March 1 (a man is pictured being tested for nucleic acids during a citywide mass testing in Changchun) . on Sunday)
“The closure is too sudden, my friend woke up in the morning to find that her building had been sealed off overnight without warning. Her boss had to mail her laptop to her.”
Shenzhen’s Futian District, which was closed on Sunday, is home to 300,000 people and a thriving commercial area.
It has a land border crossing with Hong Kong, where the number of cases has skyrocketed in recent weeks, causing alarm among officials in Beijing.
Hong Kong now has one of the highest death rates from the virus in the world as the Omicron variant cuts through its elderly population, among whom distrust of the vaccine is rapidly growing.
The local government in Hong Kong reported 15,789 new daily cases on Sunday, nearly half the number on Saturday.
In China’s largest city, Shanghai, authorities have temporarily closed selected schools, businesses, restaurants and shopping malls over fears of close contact, rather than imposing a mass quarantine.
Authorities have advised residents not to leave the city unnecessarily, and tourist attractions have begun requiring visitors to provide negative Covid tests.
Shanghai resident Serena Li told AFP: “I have friends that I used to hang out with a few days ago, but recently they were suddenly quarantined.
“The government’s approach will protect citizens. It’s good in the long run.”
Long queues formed outside hospitals on Sunday as people rushed to get tested.
State media reported that on Saturday, the mayor of Jilin City and the head of the Changchun Health Commission were fired from their posts in a political imperative placed on local governments to contain the spread of the virus (residents pictured lining up to be tested for Covid-19 during quarantine in Changchun on Saturday)
A data analysis officer named Zhang said, “There is no other way. We should definitely do what the government has arranged.”
As the number of cases rises, the country’s National Health Commission announced Friday it will make rapid antigen tests available to citizens, who can buy them online or at clinics for self-testing.
While nucleic acid tests will continue to be the primary method of testing, the move suggests China may be expecting official efforts to fail to contain the virus.
Last week, a leading Chinese scientist said the country should strive to coexist with Covid, like other countries where Omicron has spread like wildfire.
Earlier this week, figures showed that six million people have died from Covid-19 worldwide since the pandemic began more than two years ago.