The following is an account by an OA of Shanghai’s lockdown last spring. For reasons of personal security, the author wishes to remain anonymous.
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Pre-Lockdown Huangpu river divides the city of Shanghai in two. On the evening of 27 March I was on my way from the east to the west bank. Soon after I crossed the river, all bridges were shut down by the order of the government. Never in the history of post-colonial Shanghai had freedom of travel had been so restricted. The ‘Wuhan’ Covid lockdown of 2020 had been a success. Deaths and infections were statistically negligible and it ensured China was one of the very few countries globally with a positive GDP growth that year. The policy had been placed on a pedestal by the government; monument and museum were made. People felt safe in China, policymakers were proud of their decision, factories kept running smoothly. From this point onwards, Covid became a spectre that haunted China. A blessing and a curse. For a politician to speak out was career suicide. The word ‘lockdown’ was never used by the policymakers – it sounded too aggressive. Instead it was named ‘Dynamic Zero Policy’. Shanghai, China’s most populous city, largest seaport and a major industrial area and commercial centre fell into line. A positive case brought 14 days of lockdown for the entire building; a close contact, seven days; a close contact of a close contact, three days. Along with centralised quarantine centres and obedient citizens, the policy worked well, and Covid was contained. A Covid ‘outbreak’ was declared in Shanghai on 28 February 2022. Caused by the omicron variant it became the most widespread in the city since the pandemic had started some two years prior. The authorities reacted by introducing mass testing and localised lockdowns. By 5 April the lockdown was expanded to encompass the entire city region, affecting a population of over 25 million.
Covid Lockdown in 2022, Shanghai
Mandarin, not so much in English. A white box that sits unobtrusively in the kitchen of most homes suddenly became the centre of attention for all Shanghai citizens: the fridge. Everyone was running out of food. To be exact, we were running out of delivery personnel that kept the supply chain functioning. The last 100 metres became as important as all the rest of the links together. A citywide lockdown means just that … delivery drivers get locked down too. Delivery apps were the only means of getting hold of food at the beginning. There were horribly long queues and order slots disappeared almost as soon as they were released each morning. Those who were too slow had to wait until the next day for another chance. Internet servers crashed almost every day. Delivery cost went up tenfold. When it works properly the market economy can be magical. It took only a week for ‘community purchase’ to proliferate. The concept is simple, we gathered online within our neighbourhood or building to purchase food. Delivery costs reduced and the vendors were guaranteed a big order. We went to the front of the queue. Nevertheless, it was still a seller’s market and some companies made millions. Not everyone was trapped in apartment blocks. A very few had a government-issued pass and lived in their company offices. But they couldn’t go home. I was fortunate to live with another accountant. My girlfriend’s expertise in inventory planning was useful. She was scrupulous, always aware of the shelf-life of every item. Her 3D geometric sorting skills enabled her to pack anything into the fridge; perfectly. Basically, she did the cooking and I did the cleaning. We had a lot of free time in lockdown. I wanted to spend time playing Chopin, but my girlfriend doesn’t have a piano in her flat. Instead, I listened to recordings. I didn’t listen to learn new techniques - I listened to listen. I could hear the sound of freedom. I understood the value of freedom in this time of great suppression. I understood why music transcends. PCR testing was enforced every two or three days. In principle, keeping track of infection can prevent
the spread. In reality, it was the testing that caused most infections – the testing centres were crowded with people queuing. I had a colleague who served in the army before coming to our firm. He had the strongest faith in government policy. ‘The party will take care of all’ is what he posted on social media. It took 11 days for the optimistic man to run out of food and toilet rolls completely and while our firm helped him out immediately, his disillusionment must have been overwhelming. Great writers and video makers emerged everywhere out of nowhere. The shelf-life for their work was about an hour. They got censored quickly after drawing too much attention to themselves. As many suspected, the truth is the most dangerous threat to the policy. The Lockdown ends Many other cities went in and out of lockdowns in 2022 – of course it was not just Shanghai.
On June 1 2022, Shanghai lifted its lockdown.
In late November, 10 people died in a fire in Urumuqi city. The fire brigade couldn’t reach the blazing building because of ‘Covid Neighbourhood Blockades’. Protests started nationwide, the first public protest since 1989 and by early December the government had completely dismantled the Zero-Covid Policy.
I couldn’t believe the protests worked.
According to state media, the demonised virus is now a mild flu. Supply chains were in limbo (again). Price of Ibuprofen skyrocketed. Infections exploded. The government stopped disclosing the statistics. No one knows how many have died. On the other hand, everything is finally going back to normal. The River After the lockdown, I was so pumped to see the Huangpu River again. For centuries, it has flowed past power and wealth, tyrants and heroes, suffering and love. The river has been there and will always be there, the river knows and carries memories to the boundless ocean.
Then, Covid turned wild and mild.
In early February 2022 the number of daily infections went from single to double digits, then triple. Medical and administrative systems were overwhelmed. The authorities acted; quickly. Late February : The Lockdown I fled to my girlfriend’s flat after hearing too many rumours about an upcoming lockdown. In the time of turbulence and uncertainty, rumours come from nowhere but spread fast. “足不出户” policy was enforced citywide, which translates to “not a foot outside your home”. “ 应检尽检 ”, “PCR testing for all who must be tested”. They sound elegant in
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