Beijing — Everything is beginning to feel quite familiar: Local government authorities announce a lockdown that will last a few days in response to the emergence of a few COVID-19 instances; when further cases appear — not many, but more — the lockdown is extended for another few days. And then, as the residents of Shanghai learned earlier this year, the limits are made indefinite.
Many of those unfortunate enough to have been stranded in Shanghai, China’s financial center, in the spring were forced to remain in their homes for months. They were not permitted to reappear until late in the summer.
Now, the 21 million residents of Chengdu, a large industrial hub in western China where many Apple products are manufactured, are facing an indefinite coronavirus lockdown.
Last Thursday, local officials ordered residents to remain at home, allowing only one person per household to out for needs. Residents were warned not to leave the city at all, while non-essential personnel were asked to work from home. The duration of the restrictions was stated to be four days. However, this was extended to an entire week.
On September 3, 2022, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, a meal deliveryman delivers food to homebound individuals. Residents in Chengdu are required to remain at home to prevent the spread of a current COVID-19 outbreak in the city. Yuan Kejia/VCG/Getty
Then, on Wednesday evening, the government announced an indefinite extension. Most inhabitants must stay in their homes — except from a journey to one of the many government testing centers that dot Chinese cities for the mandated daily PCR test.
Those residing in neighborhoods regarded by local health authorities to be less dangerous are permitted to go grocery shopping for two hours every other day. Pre-approval is required for individuals with medical needs to travel for medications or appointments.
Many outside of China may be surprised by the incredibly low threshold for triggering such punitive measures. In recent days, the number of COVID-19 cases reported in Chengdu, which is home to over 21 million people, has hovered around 100. This infection rate surpasses those in other regions of the world, including those in which nearly all COVID restrictions have been repealed.
But 100 is not zero. And according to China’s contentious “zero-COVID” policy, any COVID is excessive.
With only a few weeks left until the once-a-decade Communist Party Congress in Beijing, where it is very guaranteed that President Xi Jinping will gain a third term in government, few anticipate a deviation from the absolute anti-coronavirus policy.
Three years of intermittent restrictions have now been suffered by the Chinese people, including this year’s two-month lockdown in Shanghai. As of this week, the international financial services company Nomura estimated that lockdowns or partial lockdowns were in effect in 49 cities, affecting over 292 million people across a vast section of the nation.
Here is what a typical day under China’s extensive COVID testing system looks like at 02:06
The mandated daily testing in these areas imposes a significant financial and administrative strain on citizens and authorities alike. In Chengdu, with its enormous population, it proved to be too much, causing the testing system to temporarily breakdown earlier this week.
Even on a national scale, there is a stark contrast between China’s coronavirus statistics and response and those observed globally. While the majority of nations, including the United States, have abandoned COVID quarantines despite significantly higher infection rates.
In the United States, there are around 74,000 new cases per day. China reported just over 1,600 new infections on Monday.
With a low vaccination rate among its elderly, less-effective vaccines, and an increasing number of transmissible strains, Beijing argues that it has no choice but to increase its efforts.
Once the upcoming Party Congress in October concludes and Xi’s continued tenure is apparently ensured, there is a chance that authorities would relax the tough regulations.
However, few see a sudden easing of limitations. According to one analysis, China’s lack of natural immunity coupled with its insufficient health care system could result in over a million additional deaths if it were to immediately reopen its borders.
Consequently, it is widely anticipated that China will maintain the stringent control measures for the remainder of this year and presumably for the foreseeable future