Restrictions, testing requirements and unavailability of food and other basic necessities have grown people’s anger and frustration, said reports.
Shanghai: With 26 million people under lockdown due to the worst-ever Covid outbreak, China’s major financial city, Sanghai, has reportedly been grappling for food and basic necessities these days. The authorities, in order to control the spread of the virus, have restricted deliveries of essential items and there is no possibility of lifting curbs until tests are completed and the results evaluated. The authorities have sped-up a testing drive to detect Covid-affected people.
According to reports, people have been facing hardships due to restrictions imposed on them. Their residential compounds have been locked up since the last couple of weeks. Restrictions, testing requirements and unavailability of food and other basic necessities have grown their anger and frustration, said reports. People are also reportedly angry over the policy that separates positive children from their parents. The authorities, however, maintain that they have been working hard to ensure supply of basic necessities in the city.
The authorities have been mulling to set up an emergency supply station by ensuring shipping of food items from the provinces. Focus is being given to ensure vegetable supplies. The residents have been using WeChat groups to get their deliveries as official delivery channels are either unavailable or severely backlogged. It has been reported that nearly 11,000 riders working for major e-commerce platforms in the city could resume their work if they submit daily negative Covid nucleic acid and antigen test results.
For the first time ever, the city has recorded nearly 17,000 cases Tuesday. The figure is the highest in a single year since the pandemic broke out in China. City health officials said on Wednesday that a few residents will be asked to take nucleic acid tests, while the rest will be asked to self-test using antigen test kits.
The city is reportedly converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds, official news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. As many as 47,700 beds have been designated and improvised hospitals have been reserved for Covid-19 patients.