China announces lockdown of Shanghai city

The largest-ever city-wide lockdown in China has been announced on Sunday, March 27,  Shanghai being lined up for Covid-19 testing. Authorities will reportedly lock the huge financial hub city down over a period of nine days, in two stages, while they conduct mass experimental testing.

Shanghai has been struggling for almost one month to contain an outbreak of coronavirus, although the number of infections is low in comparison to many countries worldwide. It is a massive city with a population of around 25 million, and concern over destabilising the economy has so far prevented the authorities from locking it down.

This policy appeared to have changed though on Saturday 26, when the highest daily number of Covid infections was registered in the city. From today, Monday, March 28, the eastern half of Shanghai will have restrictions imposed, lasting until April 1. Then from April 1 to 5, the western side will follow.

By locking down only half of this giant city at a time, the authorities hope to maintain some sort of economic activity. It is the commercial capital of China, and quite possibly the country’s biggest city.

The authorities used its WeChat account to instruct all factories and firms that they must stop all operations, and work from home if possible. All public transport will be suspended as well. They asked the residents “to support, understand, and cooperate with the city’s epidemic prevention and control work”, as reported by bbc.com.