As we reported, the city of
Shanghai is under lock down
today as covid cases continue to
search in China's financial
capital.
It is the most severe measure by
the Chinese government to
isolate and track infections
since it shut down the city
after the virus broke out in
2020.
Today begins the second phase in
a two-part lockdown across
Shanghai, after a wave of new
infections erupted likely
driven by the highly contagious
subvariant of omicron, known as
ba.2
summer wen is an interpreter who
lives in west Shanghai.
>> We are not allowed to get
out, and I have to get my test
today, this afternoon. And so
far for me, of course it is
inconvenient, but still I fell
it is dealable.
>> The first phase of the
shutdown began Sunday, centering
on the financial district and
surrounding areas.
In the past week, many
communities have seen these
yellow and blue plastic barriers
go up around housing complexes.
Residents are required to submit
to multiple covid tests, and
workers in hazmat suits man
various checkpoints.
Almost no one is allowed to
leave their zone not for work,
not for medical care, nothing
police in Shanghai flew drones
outfitted with speakers,
delivering airborne warnings to
those below to wear masks and
maintain social distancing.
In anticipation of the lockdown,
last weekend there was panic
buying at grocery stores some
residents said they were hopeful
the lockdowns wouldn't go on too
long.
>> With one adjective, I think
we should be calm, and face this
with a positive attitude, and
then allow this epidemic to pass
over as soon as possible.
>> Others like p-h-d student
Marek narozniak, who's from
Poland, said the measures were
chaotic and launched with little
notice.
>> I just woke up and my
compound was surrounded with the
fence, and that's it. There was
no announcement, there was no
warning, no information,
nothing.
I think this whole operation is
causing a lot of harm to many
people and a lot of suffering
and I don't really believe it is
necessary or appropriate.
>> Shanghai reported 4,500 new
infections today, which is still
relatively low compared to the
surges in other countries.
These tight restrictions stem
from president XI jinping and
the Chinese communist party's
"Zero-covid" strategy which
aims not to just manage the
virus, but to eliminate it with
lockdowns, massive testing, and
forced quarantines.
Across China, these official
shutdowns have been picking up
in recent months, especially in
factory cities like shenzhen.
But the clampdown in Shanghai is
by far the biggest since the
pandemic first began, when
government locked down the city
of Wuhan home to 11 million
people for 76 days.
With 26 million residents,
Shanghai is China's largest
city, and analysts worry these
closures will deliver an
economic blow to China's and the
world's financial engine.
Yanzhong huang is a senior
fellow for global health at the
council on foreign relations.
>> China was very successful by
using the zero covid strategy in
containing the spread of the
virus, shielding the Chinese
population from the virus. But
it was precisely the success of
that strategy only a very small
percentage of the population
actually exposed to the virus.
But now, when you have a variant
that is so highly transmissible
with short incubation period and
also you recover relatively
quickly. Right? So, you know,
pretty much that makes it almost
impossible to not just detect
all the cases, but also to track
and trace those contacts,
>> Starting today in phase 2,
residents west of the huangpu
river will not be able to leave
home for five days, and
deliveries will be left at
checkpoints. Nonessential
business and public
transportation will also be shut
down.
Earlier in the week, the
government converted Shanghai's
convention center into a
makeshift hospital to house
patients, with 6,000 available
beds.
Nationwide, China's uptick in
cases had been driven by an
outbreak in jilin province.
Local officials there have also
instituted travel bans and
partial lockdowns in several
cities.
Back in Shanghai, empty streets.
People locked away in their
homes, as China's war against
the coronavirus continues.
For the p-b-s newshour, I'm