As widespread COVID-19 testing began in parts of the 18 million-person city on Saturday, the majority of Shenzhen's population went under a weekend lockdown.
Two days after city authorities claimed that rumours of a lockdown were based on a "misinterpretation" of the most recent COVID-19 preventative and control measures, the lockdown and the suspension of bus and subway services went into force.
In order to "minimise the impact on people's working life," residents of six districts, which make up the majority of the city's population, will be tested twice over the course of the weekend, according to a statement posted on Saturday on the local government's official WeChat account.
“Internet users agreed, leaving comments that strengthening the prevention and control of the epidemic on weekends in some districts of Shenzhen is the fastest and most effective way to break the chain of virus transmission.”
According to a Reuters analysis of district authority announcements released between Thursday and Saturday, those areas in the six major districts that have been designated as "high-risk areas" will remain under lockdown for seven days, with an extension possible if more positive cases are discovered.
Residents in Shenzhen should stay as much as possible at home and refrain from gatherings, according to Lin Hancheng, a public health officer. He didn't specify how many persons the limitations had an impact on.
Over the course of the two days, one member of each household will be permitted to leave their compound once to purchase food, medications, and other supplies, according to the six districts.
The curbs followed state media reports on Thursday quoting city health authorities as saying announcements of new COVID-19 measures had been “misinterpreted” as meaning a lockdown, calling on residents to “work and live without worry”.
In the city’s Futian district, Candice, a 28-year-old who works with a headhunting business, expressed dismay over the latest lockdown measures.
“The fear of going places, the constant disruption to work, has to be worse than the virus itself,” she said, declining to give her full name.
Officials reported 87 new locally transmitted COVID infections in Shenzhen for Friday, the same as a day earlier. Seven of the new cases were outside quarantine areas.
‘COVID ZERO’
Shenzhen’s new measures reflect China’s strict adherence to a “dynamic COVID zero” policy of quashing every flare-up.
In the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, which put its 21 million people under lockdown on Thursday, officials announced the suspension of in-person teaching for primary and secondary schools from Monday.
A Foxconn plant in the city that makes Apple iPads was operating normally as of Friday evening, according to a statement sent to Reuters on Saturday.
U.S. chipmaker Intel Corp has taken “preventative measures” at a chip factory it operates in Chengdu in response to the outbreak, a spokesperson told Reuters.
Meanwhile, social media platforms like Weibo were flooded with angry comments late on Friday as Chengdu residents undergoing compulsory COVID testing complained about long queues and waiting times due to a malfunction in the city’s IT system.
Chengdu city authorities on Saturday announced a slight easing of the city’s current lockdown regime, which involves working from home and daily mass testing until Sunday.
Residents with a negative COVID test in the past 48 hours can now leave their compounds, use public transport and enter hospitals.
The city reported 155 new local cases for Friday, compared with 150 a day earlier.
COVID curbs have taken a heavy toll on the city’s residents.
Sophia Li, who runs a homestay business, said she previously had a monthly income of 12,000-20,000 yuan ($1,700-$2,900) during peak tourism season, but her earnings have since slumped.
“With the current lockdown, there’s literally no income,” she said. “And I’m not alone, lots of self-employed people have been under mounting financial pressure.”