‘I am optimistic’: Chinese city of Chengdu locks down over Covid-19 cases, but residents remain calm

Name: Shenzhen shuts down world’s largest electronics wholesale market due to Covid-19 outbreak
Uploaded: 2022-09-02T05:36:36.000Z
Duration: 1 min 17 s
Description: Shenzhen shuts down world’s largest electronics wholesale market due to Covid-19 outbreak

Residents snap up food, queue for tests and wait for restrictions to lift as lockdown begins in metropolis of 21 million

City reports 153 local infections on Friday, bringing the total to over 900 since the outbreak erupted in mid-August

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Police officers in Chengdu, China perform checks on a road ahead of a Covid-19 lockdown on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Zhuang PinghuiandCoco Feng

Published: 1:36pm, 2 Sep 2022Updated: 2:34pm, 2 Sep 2022

Residents in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu snapped up food, queued for tests and waited patiently for a lockdown to be lifted as the city battles a growing Covid-19 outbreak.

A lockdown was imposed on the city of over 21 million people from Thursday evening, while citywide testing is planned from Thursday through Sunday. During the lockdown, one person per household is permitted to leave home daily to go grocery shopping.

On Friday, 153 local infections were reported, including 47 symptomatic infections, bringing the total number of local infections to more than 900 since the outbreak erupted in mid-August.

“There have been over 20 separate transmission links,” said Fan Shuangfeng, an official with the Chengdu Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, citing frequent contact between people from Chengdu and neighbouring cities.

But Chengdu residents, known for their laid-back style, said they were used to frequent outbreaks and waited patiently for the lockdown to be lifted after four days of citywide testing.

“I am in Qingyang district and far from the outbreaks, so we feel very differently,” said Li Xiao, a housewife in Chengdu.

“We saved some food when there was a rumour about a lockdown earlier this week, but there are a lot of supplies on online platforms. We will do daily tests for five days to prepare for school opening.”

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Shenzhen shuts down world’s largest electronics wholesale market due to Covid-19 outbreak