Shanghai's lockdown sparked complaints as COVID cases soar

Shanghai's lockdown sparked complaints as COVID cases soar

 Cases of COVID-19 in Shanghai, China's largest city, continue to rise with millions confined to their homes under a blanket lockdown, as a strict "zero tolerance" approach to the epidemic increasingly draws complaints from residents wary of restrictions.

China Health officials on Sunday reported 438 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, along with 7,788 asymptomatic patients. Both numbers rose, while the northeastern province of Jilin recorded 4,455 cases on Sunday, which is also an increase from Saturday.

Although small by some countries' standards, the daily increases are among the largest since the virus first appeared in Wuhan's central city in late 2019.

With a population of 26 million, Shanghai last week began a two-stage lockdown, with residents of the eastern section of Pudong supposed to be allowed to leave their homes on Friday. At the same time, their neighbors in the western neighborhood of Puxi underwent a four-day isolation period.

Despite this assertion, millions in Pudong are still confined to their homes amid complaints about food delivery and the availability of medicines and health services.

While Wuhan suffered a 76-day lockdown in 2020 with relatively minor complaints, Shanghai residents - many of whom were in isolation before the lockdown began last week - seem increasingly fed up with the measures and methods used to enforce it.

Although coverage in China's fully state-controlled media remains largely positive, complaints have surfaced online, including videos and audio recordings purporting to show cruel practices by officials and volunteers and claiming that Medical advice soundness has been discarded in favor of political expediency.