Millions of Chinese were working from their homes today, Monday, after a new closure was introduced to combat the Covid-19 outbreak that has turned Beijing of 22 million into a ghost town.
Within two months, China has faced the worst wave of the epidemic since the start of the Corona virus outbreak in early 2020.
Even though the number of infections in the world is still low, the Chinese authorities are still strictly implementing a zero Covid policy and isolating entire cities as soon as a few cases appear.
After Shanghai, the most populous city, which has been closed since the beginning of April, Beijing had a week of movement restrictions and many public places (restaurants, cafes, gyms…) were closed.
On Monday, authorities decided to limit access to non-essential services only in Chaoyang District, the capital’s busiest and most crowded area, as companies should limit their permanent employees to 5%. As a result, a large number of employees have been forced to work from home.
“Working from home is a bit boring, but it’s for the good of everyone,” Fang, a 35-year-old Beijing resident who works in the advertising sector, told AFP.
Sanlitun, a very busy business district in the east of Beijing, was empty on Monday morning. The Apple store, usually packed with customers, was ordered to close its doors minutes before opening.
reduce the risk
“I don’t feel comfortable when there aren’t many people around,” Wang, a service worker waiting to enter the restaurant where she works, told AFP.
“I am accused of sterilization, I cannot work from home,” she added.
On Monday, Beijing announced that it had recorded 49 cases of Covid-19 infection in the past 24 hours.
City official Xu Hejian told the press that the health situation in the capital is “serious and difficult,” urging residents not to leave Beijing except under force majeure.
And inspections lasting no more than 48 hours will be required to enter public places, especially supermarkets, as well as buildings that house offices.
A financial sector official, without revealing his name, told AFP that his company asked him to “not go” to his home to reduce the risk of injury in transit.
He indicated that “one of his friends advised (…) to ride (to work) by bicycle”.
tension and resentment
In Shanghai, the number of new infections fell to less than 4,000 on Monday after surpassing 25,000 at the end of April.
The current wave of the epidemic has also killed more than 500 people in Shanghai, according to official figures. Officially, the total number of deaths in China since the start of the Covid crisis has barely exceeded 5,000.
Some residents are expressing their dissatisfaction after the 40 days of closure, a period when there have been supply issues at times.
According to videos circulating on social media, residents of Quanzhou District clashed with government workers in full protective gear over the weekend.
And local authorities said that “the police acted as quickly as possible to convince the spectators to disperse and restore calm.”
“According to the on-site investigation, the rioters had enough food at home,” she confirmed.
Experts warn that China’s “zero Covid” strategy, which includes imposing restrictions and carrying out a large number of frequent checks on the population, is costing the country’s economy dearly.
According to the American Chamber of Commerce, some of the chamber’s member companies in Shanghai remain closed, while others are hesitant to invest in China due to health restrictions.
Chamber President Colm Rafferty warned that the business world is “preparing for an exodus of foreign professionals.”
