China has ramped up coronavirus-related restrictions, including lockdowns, as it continues to implement the “zero-Covid policy”, reported Bloomberg on Friday.
Chinese citizens are restricted to their homes under the zero-Covid policy. The food is distributed to them. The policy also includes travel bans and mass testing.
The system is unsustainable, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said in May.
The residents of Shanghai, China’s largest city with a population of about 2.63 crore, were on Friday told to stay at their homes as authorities ordered mass testing, reported PTI. Several other cities, including Beijing and Wuhan, are also under lockdown.
Schools and dining at restaurants in the southern city of Guangzhou have been suspended.
A survey by Japanese bank Nomura has said that 23.2 crore Chinese citizens were in a lockdown till Thursday – up by 80 lakh since last week.
These restrictions have been imposed in light of rising coronavirus cases in the country. China reported 1,321 new infections on Thursday, its highest tally in two weeks.
China’s economy has suffered due to the persisting lockdowns and travel restrictions with its Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, falling by 2.6% in three months, reported the BBC. According to the Nomura survey, the number of cities under lockdown accounts for 24.5% of the country’s GDP, up from 22.9% last week.
The measures have also angered citizens who have protested in Tibet’s capital city of Lhasa against the harsh restrictions.
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