Beijing closed dozens of subway stations on Wednesday to fight covid-19, restricting the movement of residents despite the fact that the Chinese capital of 21 million inhabitants registers only a few dozen cases daily.
(Read: Shanghai residents are sent out of the city by covid)
The world’s second-largest economy is battling its worst coronavirus outbreak since the first wave of the pandemic, but with the majority of cases focused on its main business center, Shanghai, where confinement orders have been in place for more than a month.
(He is interested in: China will maintain its ‘zero covid’ policy despite rejection by the population)
The scenes of chaos and anger over the measures in Shanghai have alarmed residents in Beijingwho fear seeing the capital closed despite the low number of cases.
On Wednesday, the city recorded just 51 infections, including asymptomatic cases, while Shanghai’s daily tally rose to 5,000, trending downward despite the relaxation of some measures.
In the capital, residential complexes with infections have been confined, many tourist places have implemented restrictions during the usually hectic May Day holidays and eating in restaurants is prohibited, except for takeaway.
Its inhabitants have begun to stockpile food and essential products, fearful of suddenly finding themselves locked up at home. The China World Trade Centerwhich includes offices and commercial areas, It has been temporarily closed until Sunday.
And the Beijing subway announced on Wednesday the closure of some 60 stations, 18% of the network, many of them in areas under confinement orders. “The entrances and exits of the stations will be closed … but transfers can be made inside the stations,” said the announcement on the WeChat page.
The residential complexes where infections have occurred have been closed to prevent their residents from leaving them.
#Beijing to fermé mercredi des dizaines de stations de métro pour lutter contre le #COVID19me si la capitale chinoise ne recense que quelques dizaines de cas quotidiens.
➡️ Des mesures qui inquiètent les Pékinois, souligne notre correspondent en #Chinese 🇨🇳, @LouKisiela pic.twitter.com/qsddJKjEBA
— FRANCE 24 Français (@France24_fr) May 4, 2022
Beijing municipal government spokesman, Xu Hejian told reporters on Wednesday that the capital was going to “temporarily prolong” the restrictions, including restaurant bans and the closure of entertainment venues and sports clubs.
Those responsible had initially indicated that the restrictions would end on Thursday, after the end of the holidays on the occasion of the Labor Festival.
“I think the city is already half confined,” said a Beijing resident, who requested anonymity, and whose residential complex has been closed by the authorities.
Criticism of Shanghai
In addition to Beijing, the central city of Zhengzhou also increased controls to fight covid, with the inhabitants in the main area of the city forced to stay in their residential complexes.
Shanghai, where weeks of confinement provoked criticism of public management and the overzealousness of the authorities, has had problems supplying food to confined inhabitants and treating patients for problems unrelated to covid.
Any person declared positive for covid-19 in Shanghai is sent to a quarantine center, whose comfort is relative and hygiene conditions can be deplorable.
AFP
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