Shanghai's 25 mn residents on edge, as venues shutdown owing to Covid-19



China's business capital Shanghai has spiraled back into the clasps of Covid-19 just ahead of the their most important political event. China's most important political event of 2022, and indeed of the coming five years, will kick off on October 16 when the 20th National Congress of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its 90 million members convenes.To get more Shanghai news, you can visit shine news official website.

The tightening comes as Shanghai reported 38 new infections, all of which were found in its quarantine system. The country that first reported Covid-19 cases in December 2019, now remains the only major government that is still grappling to control the spread of the fatal virus.

At least five districts have closed entertainment venues, including cinemas, bars and gyms, in an effort to stamp out transmission, according to statements issued by Covid prevention offices.

The creeping suspensions, as well as a ramp up in other restrictions like the lockdown of neighborhoods and individual residential compounds have left Shanghai’s 25 million residents on edge.

Venues like gyms and bars have shut in the Shanghai districts of Changning, Putuo, Jiading, Yangpu, and Qingpu. Shanghai Disney Resort said on Saturday that some facilities have been shut and performances canceled to follow the Covid control requirements.

Mental health affected due to several shutdown
Social media users lamented the never-ending cycle of shutdowns and reopenings that’s a feature of China’s Covid Zero policy. Others speculated whether they may face another lockdown just months after a two-month ordeal that saw many in Shanghai struggle to access food and medical care. The flareup is occurring just days before China’s once-in-five-years Party Congress, when President Xi Jinping is expected to secure a precedent-breaking third term in power.

Xi has made Covid Zero a cornerstone of his leadership, despite its growing social and economic cost, and China’s propaganda machine has ramped up its defense of the policy this week in a sign there’ll be no shift toward living with the virus any time soon.

WHO videos restricted
The World Health Organization chief’s comment that the end of the pandemic is within reach sparked lively online debate -- and some censorship -- in China, the only major country still trying to stop the spread of the virus.

China Newsweek and popular online media outlet Guancha.cn reported on Tedros’s remark and shared videos on social media platform Weibo, but those were removed in the afternoon. A hashtag on Tedros’s comments that gathered some 4.5 million views also appeared to have been removed, and Chinese media disabled the comment function on Weibo posts sharing the news.