The most severe COVID-19 crisis in China in the last two years, has pushed authorities to place approximately 17 million people under lockdown. Public transport in Shenzhen was halted by the city’s government on Sunday until the 20th of March.
Furthermore, the city government notice said that would set in motion three rounds of mass testing. Due to the nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases, schools in the big cities like Shanghai have been closed.
Following the outbreak in Wuhan, China has taken the “Zero-COVID” approach by enforcing swift lockdowns, restricting travel, and closing non-essential businesses, as well as conducting mass testing drives.
However, the sudden spike in the number of cases raises questions about the efficacy of such an approach. Consequently, the authorities are avoiding mass city-wide lockdowns and suggest a softer, yet targeted approach, since economists are warning about the economic repercussions.
The response to this outbreak has varied across the nation. In mid-February, when the cases started to rise, the southern city of Shenzhen switched to an online mode of schooling. On the other hand, in Beijing, several places are in complete or partial lockdown.
Furthermore, a stark contrast in the approach to policy measures can be seen in the city of Xi’an, which has been on lock down for two weeks due to the outbreak, back in December.