Shanghai Reisdents Rap Fencing Of COVID-hit Areas Death Toll Rises

Shanghai authorities battling an outbreak of COVID-19 have erected fences outside residential buildings, sparking fresh public outcry over a lockdown that has forced much of the city's 25 million people indoors, Brenda Goh and Jacqueline Won reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: China has since reported 87 fatalities, all in the past seven days.

Images of white hazmat suit-clad workers sealing entrances of housing blocks and closing off entire streets with roughly two meter-tall green fencing went viral on social media, prompting questions and complaints from residents.

"This is so disrespectful of the rights of the people inside, using metal barriers to enclose them like domestic animals," said one user on social media platform Weibo. One video showed residents shouting from balconies at workers trying to set up fencing before relenting and taking it away. Other videos showed people trying to pull fences down.

The Associated Press (AP) also reported harsh reactions by relatives of those fenced while others criticisms the regime of President Xi Jinping for not being truthful about the pandemic outbreak and for incredibly blaming the rersurgence on “foreign cargoes” and foodstuff.

Shanghai reported 39 COVID-19 deaths for April 23, versus 12 a day earlier and by far the most during the current outbreak.

It did not report any deaths in the first few weeks, fueling doubt among residents about the figures. It has since reported 87 fatalities, all in the past seven days.

The city recorded 19,657 new locally transmitted asymptomatic cases, versus 20,634 a day prior, and 1,401 symptomatic, versus 2,736. Cases outside quarantined areas totaled 280 from 218 on the previous day. Other cities that have been under lockdown began easing restrictions once cases hit zero.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) earlier reported that Shanghai has been almost entirely locked down since the start of the month, snarling supply chains, with many residents confined to their homes for even longer as it became the epicenter of the outbreak.

China’s biggest city only announced its first fatalities on April 18, despite reporting thousands of cases each day in recent weeks. Nationwide, China reported 20,285 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases for Saturday, versus 21,423 a day earlier, with 1,580 symptomatic cases, versus 2,988.

Beijing recorded 22 new COVID-19 cases - all locally transmitted - compared with six the day before, prompting a number of gyms and after-school activity providers to suspend in-person classes.

Meanwhile 22 new infections were reported in the capital Beijing, after warnings from an official on Saturday that the city must take urgent action.

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