‘Entry only. No exit: ‘Beijing sees more Govt closures as anger mounts in Shanghai

BEIJING / SHANGHAI, April 29 (Reuters) – China’s capital Beijing closed more businesses and residential complexes on Friday as authorities stepped up contact restrictions to control the COVID-19 eruption, while dissatisfaction with a month-long lockout in Shanghai increased.

According to a Reuters witness and residents, people at the financial center have been protesting against the lockout and the difficulty in getting arrangements for knocking on pots and pans in the evening.

A video shared on social media, which could not immediately verify its authenticity, shows a woman warning people not to do so by loud-heiler, saying such gestures are encouraged by “outsiders”.

The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In Beijing, authorities were in a race against time to detect COVID cases and isolate those around them.

The sign on the outside of the apartment complex reads “Entry only. No exit.”

Polish resident Jonah Sklarska, 51, was sent in close contact with an isolated hotel, but he refused to share a single-bedroom room with his neighbor.

She was sent back home, where officers installed a front door alarm. Then she was invited back to the hotel and now she has her own room.

“I do not understand anything here,” the English language consultant said over the phone.

At a regular press conference on Friday, Chinese health officials did not respond to questions about whether Beijing would be locked up or under what circumstances could trigger such actions.

The Chongqing district, which has been under mass scrutiny this week, began three rounds of screenings among its 3.5 million residents on Friday. A third round test is scheduled for Saturday in most other districts.

Many apartments were sealed off, preventing residents from leaving, and some spas, KTV lounges, gyms, cinemas and libraries and at least two shopping malls were closed Friday.

Soyong, which has the highest number of cases in Beijing, has announced that more neighborhoods are at risk.

Those who have recently visited places like this have received text messages asking them to stay until their test results come out.

A text read, “Hello citizens! You recently visited the Beef Noodles & Fried Chicken Shop in the Guangxi Li Community.” “Please report to your premises or hotel immediately, stay tuned and wait for the announcement of the Nucleic Acid Test.”

“If you violate the above requirements and cause the spread of infection, you must accept legal responsibility.”

Companies like e-commerce site JD.com are trying to cater to the residents well.

Ming Tong, 32, head of one of its logistics centers on the outskirts of Beijing, said delivery had increased by 65% ​​since the first lawsuit was filed on April 22 and that 80% of the parcels were food-related.

“Trying to deliver parcels on time and working long hours puts a lot of pressure on our couriers,” he said.

In Beijing, 49 cases were reported on April 28, up from 50 the previous day, far from Shanghai’s.

The April 30-May 4 Labor Day holiday is one of China’s busiest tourist seasons, and the travel industry is facing losses. read more

Companies reopening factories in Shanghai are booking hotel rooms for workers to stay in and turning vacant workshops into on-site isolation facilities as authorities insist on resuming work under Govt restrictions.

Once inside a factory’s “closed loop” system, it is not clear when workers can come out. read more

Many foreigners want to leave China’s most cosmopolitan city. read more

The ruling Communist Party’s top decision – making body said on Friday that China would increase policy support for the economy in response to Govt and other headwinds. (.CSI 300), (.SSEC) From a recent two-year low. read more

Chinese officials say the absence of the cove is essential to save as many lives as possible.

“We need to realize that the virus is affecting the economy,” said Liang Vannian, chairman of the National Health Council’s COVID response committee.

“The war against the COVID epidemic is a war, an anti-war, a people’s war,” Liang said.

In Shanghai, authorities say more people have recently been gradually allowed to leave their homes. More than 12 million people, almost half of the population, are now in that category. read more

However, many are unable to leave their premises, while some access to shops and other places are closed. One of the 52,000 police officers mobilized for Lockdowns is often told to return home.

Many residents have complained to the police that they are not flexible, which sometimes does not take into account health emergencies or other personal circumstances.

“There are still many shortcomings in our work,” Shu Qing, chairman of the municipal public safety bureau, told reporters.

“Some personal guards do not pay attention to styles or methods when enforcing the law, nor are they emotional or mechanical.”

Reports from Martin Quinn Pollard, Eduardo Baptista, David Stanway, Brenda Coe, Tony Monroe, Roxanne Liu, Albie Zhang, Wang Yifan and the Beijing and Shanghai Bureau; Written by Marius Zaharia; Lincoln Feast Editing.

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.