For the first time in weeks, the Chinese economic metropolis Shanghai according to its own statements, reached the “zero Covid” state on Tuesday. “All 16 districts of Shanghai have already reached zero Covid at the community level,” said a health official. According to the administration, this means that none of the more than 1000 new infections reported on Tuesday occurred outside of quarantined areas. The strict lockdown continues to apply.
According to the authorities, more than 3.8 million residents of the city were still under the strictest lockdown on Tuesday. The contradiction between the announced “zero Covid” status and the continued restrictions on freedom immediately caused a stir on social media. “If society has reached zero Covid, why are people in Songjian district still only allowed to go outside every two days,” criticized a user on the online service Weibo.
The city administration announced a gradual reopening of shops over the weekend, but did not give any details.
In early April, authorities imposed drastic restrictions due to an outbreak of the omicron variant of the coronavirus Shanghai imposed, which made it extremely difficult to supply the 25 million inhabitants with fresh food and had an impact on global supply chains. Due to the restrictions, there was great dissatisfaction among the population.
