China locks down 21 million people in Chengdu

The city of Chengdu in China, home to over 21 million people, will go into lockdown at 6pm today to control another Covid-19 outbreak. The country’s President Xi Jinping has committed to a ‘Covid Zero’ approach, despite the detrimental economic effects of lockdowns.

Residents of the capital of Sichuan province must stay home at all times, except for mandatory Covid testing. Households are permitted to send one person out grocery shopping once a day so long as they have tested negative for the virus.

Anyone who needs to exit their home due to an emergency e.g., to seek emergency medical care must first seek approval from a neighbourhood committee.

The economic detriment of locking down the megacity is inconceivable. All businesses must shut down except for supermarkets, pharmacies and hospitals. Dining in restaurants is not allowed but takeaways are.

The city-wide lockdown is the country’s biggest since the capital Shanghai – home to 25 million – was locked down for two months earlier this year.

On Wednesday, Chengdu reported 156 coronavirus cases. When Shanghai went into lockdown, the city’s daily recorded cases were in the thousands.

After almost three years of the virus, most countries in the world have abandoned strict Covid control measures and returned to “business as usual.” China is the only country enforcing lockdowns, extensive quarantines and mandatory testing.

Sneaking out of the house during lockdown will not fly in Chengdu or any Chinese city for that matter, where facial recognition surveillance technology pervades the streets.

Chengdu isn’t the only place in China facing lockdown. In Shenzhen this week, authorities shut down Huaqiangbei, the world’s largest electronics market and several other neighbourhoods. Services at subway stations and bus stations have been suspended.

The northern city of Dalian entered a lockdown today, which is intended to end on Sunday, affecting three million people.

In Shijiazhuang, authorities suspended public transport and ordered more than three million people to the world from home until Wednesday.

Xining in western China entered a lockdown on Monday which is set to end today, affecting 2.5 million people.

On October 16, China will hold a Communist Party Meeting, the “20th Party Congress.” At the meeting, Xi Jinping is expected to extend his premiership for five more years.

A Chengdu resident who leaked rumours of the lockdown on WeChat before it was officially announced has been detained for 15 days and fined 1,000 yuan for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”

SOURCE: Bloomberg