Covid: Millions confined in one of China’s biggest cities

Several million people were confined to China on Friday in Chengdu (southwest) after a limited epidemic resurgence paralyzed one of the country’s largest cities.

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China continues to pursue a so-called “Zero COVID” health strategy despite having far fewer contaminants than other parts of the world.

This approach translates into quarantine as soon as positive cases appear, mandatory PCR tests almost every 72, 48 or 24 hours, quarantine placements, and closure of factories and businesses.

Chengdu, a city of 21 million people, reported 150 new Covid-positive cases on Friday.

To stop the contamination, authorities have begun routine screening of the population and are ordering residents from Thursday to “stay home” until further notice.

However, each household is authorized to send one person out daily to buy groceries – subject to the demonstration of a PCR test conducted in less than 24 hours.

Videos verified by AFP show long queues for testing on the street and empty supermarket shelves.

“Everyone is stocking up like crazy,” a 25-year-old Chengdu resident told AFP, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.

According to him, people are taking precautions against an unexpected lockdown in Shanghai in the spring. Guard of catch, residents complain of lack of fresh produce or even food for some.

However, the situation in Chengdu seemed to be under control, with residents still able to get food delivered to their homes.

Chengdu initially dismissed the idea of ​​control. On Tuesday, police announced that a man who had caused “panic” by making contradictory claims on social networks had been detained for 15 days.

On Friday, many internet users in China criticized the arrest and instead praised the kindness of this stranger.

“Heroes are all pilloried,” one of them wrote, in line with other comments on the Weibo social network.

China has faced a rebound of the epidemic in recent weeks, but it now affects most of the country’s provinces.

Authorities in Shenzhen (south), a large metropolis bordering Hong Kong, announced restrictions in several districts on Thursday. The move has led to a surge in food delivery apps.