Chinese schools close due to Covid surge

With Shanghai facing a city-wide lockdown, the city of Guangzhou in China has closed its schools following a surge in Covid cases

Monday 11, April saw Shanghai announce 26,087 Covid cases, despite their 26 million population being under a tight lockdown with many inhabitants confined to their homes. Guangzhou, which has a population of 18 million, will not be facing a lockdown as of yet, with only 27 cases reported on Monday. However, primary and middle schools have transferred to online learning after these cases were detected earlier last week, with the city beginning mass testing.To leave Guangzhou, citizens require a “definite need” to do so and must provide a 48h negative test before departing.

China has received worldwide backlash for its Covid-19 prevention methods with photos released on social media, depicting infected children in cots with no parents present, leading to public outrage with online protests growing larger by the day. 

The Chinese Government to become increasingly defensive about their restrictions,with Zhao Lijian, Foregin Ministry spokesman stating on Sunday that China had lodged solemn representations with the US” following State department advice telling americans to reconsider travelling to China, because of “arbitrary covid-19 laws and restrictions” US officials cited a risk of “parents and children being separated”. He also stated that all methods had “proven to be effective and in line with its national conditions and needs, and have made an important contribution to the global fight against the epidemic”.

China currently remains mostly closed to international travel.

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