China's capital Beijing has closed city parks and imposed other restrictions as the country grapples with a fresh wave of COVID-19 cases. Elsewhere, more than 5 million people were in lockdown in the southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou and western megacity Chongqing on Friday. The country reported 10,729 new cases on Friday, almost all of whom tested positive without showing any symptoms.
With most of Beijing's 21 million people being tested almost daily, another 118 new cases, were reported in the sprawling city. Many city schools have switched to online teaching, hospitals have reduced their services and some shops and restaurants have closed and their staff have been quarantined.
Videos on social media showed people protesting or fighting with police officers and health workers in some areas. The Chinese leadership on Thursday vowed to respond to public frustration over its tough "zero-COVID" strategy, which has locked millions in their homes and severely disrupted the economy. No details were offered other than a promise to release "stranded people" who have been quarantined or locked up for weeks from cities where there are cases. it has turned life upside down, closing schools, factories and businesses or locking down neighborhoods without warning. With the new surge in cases, a growing number of areas are closing shops and imposing movement restrictions.
In order to enter office buildings, shopping malls and other public places, people must show a negative result of a once-daily virus test. As economic growth weakened after a year-long surge to 3.9% at the start of the three months to September, forecasters expected bolder moves to reopen the country, whose borders remain largely closed.
Reference to the reversal of a policy that the party has closely associated with social stability and the superiority of its policies. This was confirmed by his seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, appointed in October at a party convention that also expanded Xi's political dominance. to appoint him as leader for a third five-year term.
It's crammed with his followers, including Shanghai's former party leader, who imposed a draconian lockdown that has led to food shortages, factory closures and millions of people confined to their homes for two months or more. People from cities with a single case in the past week are barred from visiting Beijing, while overseas travelers must quarantine in a hotel for seven to 10 days if they can manage the timely and opaque process of obtaining a visa.
The business groups say this discourages foreign executives from visiting and prompts companies to shift investment plans to other countries. Visits by US officials and lawmakers tasked with maintaining vital trade ties amid tensions over tariffs, Taiwan and human rights have all but ground to a halt.
Last week, access to part of downtown Zhengzhou, home of the world's largest iPhone factory, was blocked after residents tested positive for the virus. Thousands of workers jumped fences and took highways to escape the factory, which is operated by Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group.
Many said sick employees were not helped and working conditions were unsafe. Also last week, people posted outraged comments on social media after the death of a 3-year-old boy whose compound was under quarantine in Northwest . of carbon monoxide poisoning. His father complained that the guards enforcing the closure refused to help him and tried to stop him while he took his son to the hospital.
Despite such complaints, Chinese citizens have little say in policy-making in the authoritarian, one-party system that tightly controls the media and public demonstrations. to produce more effective vaccines, with the elderly population being particularly vulnerable.
That could happen as early as next spring when a new list of officials will be appointed under Xi's continued leadership in. Or the restrictions could last much longer if the government continues to reject the notion of living to a relatively high standard in order to learn. small number of cases, causing far fewer hospital admissions and deaths than during the pandemic.