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As I see it | A Shanghai success will not solve China’s Covid-19 policy dilemma
- The massive resources sent to the city may contain the outbreak but can the financial powerhouse afford any further disruption?
- China is looking for an exit strategy but has yet to find a satisfactory formula that keeps the economy running and protects the vulnerable
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The Chinese government’s ability and determination to mobilise its vast resources against Covid-19 were on display this week in Shanghai – but so was its desperation.
A total of 38,000 medical personnel from around the country, along with soldiers and a fleet of Y-20 military transport planes, arrived to carry out the city’s mass testing of its 25 million people.
At the same time, 6,000 workers and technicians were racing to finish a makeshift hospital with 15,000 beds in about a week.
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Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan arrived in Shanghai on Saturday with a stern message for local officials – the city must return to zero cases as soon as possible.
It was the latest stop for the Politburo member in charge of the Covid-19 fight, who has been travelling to the country’s hotspots over the past few months with a mission to contain the outbreaks before Omicron spreads like wildfire.
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But there is a long way to go, with Shanghai reporting a record 13,354 positive cases on Tuesday – bringing its total to around 70,000 local infections since March 1.
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