Two new deaths were reported, three deaths were also reported over the weekend. Beijing warned on Monday that it is facing its toughest challenge yet in fighting the pandemic. The municipality has tightened rules for entering the city: new arrivals from other parts of China must undergo tests for three days before they can leave their accommodation.
“They were ten fantastic days, we were able to enjoy them briefly,” says China correspondent Anouk Eigenraam. “Everything looks upside down. The numbers were already on the rise, so the easing announcement was unexpected. Now that the numbers have risen further, China finds it scary.’
Many museums are closed, and sites such as the Happy Valley theme park and sprawling Chaoyang Park, a popular spot for joggers and picnics, were reported to be closed on Tuesday due to the outbreak. Beijing reported 1,438 new local cases, up from 962 on Sunday.
Economic damage
The resurgence of the virus and the new wave of lockdowns give China serious fears of an economic downturn. While investors hope China sticks to its earlier decision to take a more focused approach to enforcing its Covid-zero policy, many analysts warn against an overly rosy picture.
“The fourth quarter isn’t going to be a big hit like this,” Eigenraam says. Last week Eigenraam visited the province. ‘People who have their own shop were able to absorb the first hit, but now in their third year they think they are going to go bankrupt. It doesn’t look good.’
Even with a targeted Zero-Covid approach, China still has one of the toughest Covid restrictions in the world. The measures in Beijing and other cities are worrying investors and have led to a drop in stocks and oil prices around the world. British newspaper The Guardian quotes a research firm as saying that around 19.9% of China’s total gross domestic product is now under some form of lockdown or restriction, up from 15.6% on Monday.