China’s zero-Covid policy has come under strain in recent weeks with the spread of the Omicron variant.
Shanghai: Video has emerged of clashes between police and people being forced out of their homes in Shanghai as the city enters the third week of Covid lockdown.
Some residential compounds were turned into quarantine centers.
As Shanghai battles a fresh virus outbreak, millions of citizens are confined to their homes. Anyone who tests positive is quarantined.
But with over 20,000 new cases every day, the city is struggling to find enough space.
The city authorities, in recent weeks, have converted exhibition halls and schools into quarantine centers and set up makeshift hospitals.
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The correspondents say the low number of severe cases in Shanghai has led some to question whether a lockdown is necessary.
Many residents have taken to social media recently complaining about the restrictions and the lack of food supplies.
People have to order food and water for daily use. They then have to wait for government drop-offs of meat, vegetables, and eggs. Analysts say many people are running low on daily food supplies.
Delivery services are overwhelmed at grocery shop websites and even the government’s distribution of supplies.
As an emergency measure, the Chinese government has sent teams to the city to help more than 660 companies. These companies are the essential sectors of the economy.
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The state media reports that these companies include the semiconductor and car manufacturing sectors.
This Friday, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said they would ensure the supply of medical goods and “ensure the smooth flow of supply chains.”
The move follows reports that parts of China’s manufacturing sector might soon have to close, at least temporarily, because companies cannot get essential components from Shanghai.
He Xiaopeng, president of electric vehicle manufacturer Xiao Peng, said that if work did not start again in Shanghai during May, potentially all car factories across the country might have to stop operating.
China is among the last remaining nations committed to eradicating Covid. The world, in contrast, is trying to live with the virus.
But in recent weeks, this zero-Covid policy has come under strain with the spread of the Omicron variant.
