Beijing closes parks, Shanghai ramps up admissions as China’s COVID-19 cases rise – Nationwide

Beijing closed parks and museums on Tuesday, while Shanghai tightened rules for people entering the city.

China reported 28,127 domestic cases on Monday, nearing its daily peak since April, with Guangzhou in the south and Chongqing in the southwest accounting for about half of the total.

In Beijing, where the number of cases is hitting a daily high, the city government has ordered more residents to enter public buildings by proving negative COVID tests within 48 hours and on the spot. You are asked to stay.

Late Tuesday, financial hub Shanghai announced that starting Thursday, people will not be able to enter places such as shopping malls or restaurants within five days of arriving in the city, but will not be able to go to offices or take public transportation. The city of 25 million people has ordered the closure of cultural and recreational venues in seven of its 16 districts after reporting 48 new community infections.

A wave of infections is testing recent adjustments China has made to its zero COVID policy.

“Some of our friends have gone bankrupt and some have lost their jobs.

“We are unable to do many of the activities we intended to do and cannot travel, so I sincerely hope that the pandemic will end as soon as possible,” she said.

Health officials have attributed two more to COVID-19 after three died over the weekend. This is his first time in China since May.

Even after adjusted guidelines, China remains an anomaly globally due to strict COVID restrictions, including borders that remain mostly closed.

The tightening of measures in Beijing and elsewhere has eased investor concerns about the world’s second-largest economy, even as China seeks to avoid a city-wide lockdown like the one that crippled Shanghai this year. It has renewed, weighing on stocks and prompting analysts to cut their forecasts for China this year.

trendy now

trendy now

The region, which accounts for about 19.9% ​​of China’s total gross domestic product, is under some form of lockdown or restriction, up from 15.6% last Monday, according to brokerage firm Nomura, according to its internal index. Not too far from the April index peak. Lockdown in Shanghai.

The government claims that President Xi Jinping’s signature COVID-zero policy is necessary to save lives and prevent the health system from being overwhelmed.

However, many frustrated social media users compared them to fans wearing no masks at the soccer World Cup, which started on Sunday in Qatar.

“Thousands of people in Qatar are not wearing masks, and we are still panicking,” wrote one user on the Weibo platform.

Many Beijing residents have seen buildings shut down during the recent outbreak, but these restrictions often last only a few days.

Some residents said many museums were closed and venues such as Happy Valley amusement park and Chaoyang Park, popular with runners and picnickers, were closed, while bulk food deliveries were delayed. .

Beijing reported 1,438 new domestic cases on Monday, up from 962 on Sunday and a further 634 in the first 15 hours on Tuesday.

China’s Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who is spearheading the zero-COVID policy, visited Chongqing on Monday and urged authorities to stick to the plan and bring the outbreak under control, the municipality said.

China’s economy is facing one of the slowest growth rates in decades. A giant real estate bubble has burst, youth unemployment has recently hit a record high, and the private sector has been paralyzed by a zero-COVID policy and a series of crackdowns on the industry that officials say they have seen. A “barbaric” development.

Investors had hoped China’s more targeted implementation of coronavirus containment measures would portend more easing, but many analysts cautioned against being too bullish. ing.

Experts warn that a full reopening will require massive vaccination promotion efforts and a change in messaging in countries where the disease is widely feared. has plans to increase hospital capacity and fever clinics, and plans to boost vaccinations.

Nomura analysts wrote that “the actual situation may not be as optimistic as expected,” and said they expected the reopening to accelerate after March next year, when the restructuring of China’s top leadership is complete. rice field.

“Reopenings may come and go as policy makers may step back after observing a surge in cases and social unrest. , may be even more reluctant to make the first move,” Nomura wrote.