BEIJING (AP) — The COVID-19 outbreak that has shut down most of Shanghai appears to be receding, with the number of new cases falling below 10,000 a day over the weekend.
Authorities have begun a limited easing of a citywide blockade that has disrupted the lives of millions of citizens and dealt at least one transitory blow to the Chinese economy. Many have been confined to their apartments for 3 weeks or more. They reported difficulties in ordering food deliveries at the beginning of the shutdown and higher costs for what they can get.
China’s largest city recorded about 7,000 cases per day on Saturday and Sunday, down from a peak of 27,605 just about 3 weeks ago on April 13. Shanghai reported 32 deaths, bringing the death toll to 454. Most of the victims were elderly and many were unvaccinated.
Even as many other countries ease pandemic restrictions, the Chinese government sticks to a “COVID zero” technique that restricts travel, tests entire cities en masse, and sets up giant transience services to try to isolate every inflamed person. it started with buildings and neighborhoods, but it will make the city bigger if the virus spreads widely.
Many outdoor experts say it’s time for China to replace the course. Lockdowns helped save critical time at the beginning of the pandemic, but zero-COVID no longer makes sense from a public fitness attitude and imposes socioeconomic costs, Richard said. Reithinger, vice president of global fitness at RTI International in Washington, D. C.
“Continuing to enforce a COVID-19 0 policy now, adding a containment technique and travel restrictions, is almost like pretending that we have learned nothing in the last two years, now that the functions of effective remedies and various vaccines are available,” he said. .
But the Chinese government is concerned that a primary outbreak could overwhelm the fitness formula and lead to more deaths, especially among unvaccinated seniors.
The Beijing government closed schools, conducted mass testing on more than 20 million people and imposed specific blockades of buildings and neighborhoods in a bid to prevent what is still a small outbreak from reaching Shanghai’s proportions and requiring a citywide blockade.
The Chinese capital reported 50 new cases, bringing the total to 400 in the 11-day outbreak. Restaurants and gyms have been closed for the May 1 national holiday, which runs through Wednesday. The city’s main sights, in addition to the Forbidden City and the Beijing Zoo, will be closing their indoor showrooms starting Tuesday.
Shanghai has recorded around 400,000 cases in China’s outbreak since the pandemic began.
Reithinger said a COVID 0 policy is a global strategy rather than a strategy based on epidemiological data. Instead of city closures, China deserves to focus on spaces where there are clusters of cases, enforce social distancing and other prevention measures, and redouble its vaccination. efforts, especially among the elderly, he said.