Several million people were confined to China in Chengdu (southwest) on Friday, after a limited epidemic rebound which paralyzed one of the country’s largest cities. China continues to follow a strict so-called “zero Covid” health strategy despite a much lower number of contaminations than the rest of the world. This policy translates into confinements as soon as positive cases appear, almost compulsory PCR tests every 72, 48 or even 24 hours, quarantine placements but also the closure of factories and businesses.
150 new positive cases of Covid-19
Chengdu, which has a population of 21 million, reported 150 new positive Covid cases on Friday. To stop the contamination, the authorities have launched a general screening of the population and have been ordering residents since Thursday to “stay at home” until further notice. However, each household is allowed to send one person outside to buy groceries each day – subject to the presentation of a PCR test that is less than 24 hours old.
Videos verified by AFP show long queues to be tested in the street, and emptied 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 have been taking precautions since Shanghai’s unexpected lockdown in the spring. Caught off guard, residents then complained of a lack of fresh produce or even food for some.
A limited epidemic rebound in China
However, the situation seemed under control in Chengdu, with residents still able to have food delivered to their homes. Chengdu initially dismissed the idea of containment. On Tuesday, the police announced the detention for 15 days of a man who “sowed panic” by claiming the opposite on social networks. On Friday, many Internet users in China criticized this arrest and on the contrary praised the benevolence of this stranger.
“The heroes are all pilloried,” wrote one of them in tune with other comments on the Weibo social network. China has been faced in recent weeks with an epidemic rebound limited in number of cases but which now affects a large part of the country’s provinces. In Shenzhen (south), a large metropolis bordering Hong Kong, the authorities announced restrictions in several districts on Thursday. This move has caused a rush on food delivery apps.