BREAKING the WAVE

The Shanghai crisis is testing Beijing's zero-Covid policy, but predictions it will destabilise the government or the economy are wrong

- DAVID MAHON

Workers put together a makeshift hospital for coronavirus patients in Shanghai.

After the shock of Wuhan, China closed its borders in early 2020, locked down Covid-infected areas, and tested, tracked and traced domestic travellers.

For two years, China has been largely Covid-free, demonstrating the effectiveness of its zero-tolerance policy, which probably saved hundreds of thousands of lives and enabled continued strong economic growth.

The Omicron variant is now challenging that strategy. An outbreak in Shanghai has affected more than 300,000 people, and at least 190 died last month alone. Another outbreak in Beijing sparked panic buying.

Many residents of Shanghai are claiming that Beijing's prevention and containment measures are deadlier than the disease. Citizens are frustrated and angry after being locked down for weeks, facing shortages of food and medicines. Many with acute illnesses unrelated to Covid have died, as hospitals are ostensibly closed to all but Covid cases.

Shanghai community officials have sealed many apartment buildings with plastic fences and padlocked entrances. A social media posting on April 23 showed firefighters struggling to tear down a plastic fence to reach a residential complex in Pudong. Flames surged from an apartment window and oily smoke rolled up the face of the building. A later video showed the whole building ablaze- flames in open stairwells roaring and sucking oxygen from the night. Apparently, no one died, but a woman jumped from her sixth-floor balcony and was badly injured.