In a bid to stem a wider outbreak following the discovery of some cases in the community, authorities ordered PCR tests for all residents in 14 of Shanghai’s 16 districts over the weekend. Some neighborhoods said residents would not be allowed to leave their homes during the tests. A notice issued in Changning County described the home stay requirement as “closed management” of the controlled community. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The reactions of people on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform have been a mixture of surprise and concern, with some asking how their plans for the weekend will be affected, such as moving house or visiting a doctor. Many expressed fears that they might close again. The move goes beyond the already burdensome test requirements that Shanghai introduced for its 25 million residents after the lockdown eased across the city on June 1. Residents must prove that they have been tested in the last 72 hours to enter areas such as shopping malls and offices – or even use the subway and buses. Many people are frustrated because they have to wait in line for hours to be tested at the thousands of kiosks scattered throughout the city. read more Some areas of Shanghai had remained under lockdown or returned to lockdown shortly after June 1 due to positive cases and their close contacts. Three of the most recent infections that led to multiple closures were spotted at a popular downtown beauty salon. Beijing, meanwhile, has shut down entertainment and Internet sites in two of the capital’s largest neighborhoods after cases were spotted at a few bars. While China’s infection rate is low by global standards, President Xi Jinping has doubled the zero-COVID policy that authorities say is necessary to protect the elderly and the medical system, even when other countries try to live with it. virus. Mainland China reported 151 new cases of coronavirus as of June 9, of which 45 were symptomatic and 106 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Friday. read more
EURO “FOUSALA”
The previous two months of Shanghai lockdown sparked widespread frustration, anger and even infrequent protests among its residents, as they faced lost incomes, loss of freedom, death of friends and relatives, and even starvation. read more It also affected the Chinese economy, disrupted supply chains and slowed international trade, and the recent uncertainty hit the financial markets. The European Chamber of Commerce said that the offices owned by its members operated with a capacity of only 30-50%, while the factories operated at a rate of more than 80%. Bettina Schoen-Behanzin, Vice President of the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said European companies were becoming more cautious and rethinking future investment in China. “We are still plagued by uncertainty with local lockdowns,” said Schoen-Behanzin. “Even if we go from life to bubble to bubble, it is still a bubble that can burst at any moment.” Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reports from Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Martin Pollard in Beijing and the Beijing and Shanghai Newsrooms. editing Richard Pullin & Simon Cameron-Moore Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
