Punishing Violators, Production Stopped: China Sees Record Surge as Shanghai Becomes Covid Nightmare

The Chinese mainland has reported 1,500 new locally transmitted confirmed Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, the National Health Commission said. Of the total local cases, 1,189 were reported from epicentre Shanghai, 233 in Jilin, 22 in Guangdong, 14 in Hainan, and 12 in Zhejiang, according to a report in Xinhua.

The country had seen a record surge on Tuesday with 26,525 new asymptomatic carriers on the Chinese mainland including 25,141 cases in Shanghai.

Shanghai Vows Punishment for Lockdown Violators

The Chinese commercial capital of Shanghai warned on Wednesday that anyone who violates Covid-19 lockdown rules will be dealt with strictly, while also rallying people to defend their city as its tally of new cases rebounded to more than 25,000.

The city police department spelled out the restrictions that most of the 25 million residents are facing and called on them to “fight the epidemic with one heart … and work together for an early victory”.

“Those who violate the provisions of this notice will be dealt with in strict accordance with the law by public security organs … If it constitutes a crime, they will be investigated according to law,” the department said in a statement. The financial hub is under huge pressure to try to contain China’s biggest Covid-19 outbreak since the coronavirus was first discovered in the city of Wuhan, some 800 km (500 miles) to the west, in late 2019.

Taiwan Firms Suspend Production in China

Around 30 Taiwanese companies, many making electronics parts, said on Wednesday that government COVID-19 control measures in eastern China had led them to suspend production until at least next week, as disruption from the measures spreads.

China has put Shanghai under a tight lockdown since late March and neighbouring Kunshan has also tightened curbs to control the country’s biggest COVID-19 outbreak since the coronavirus was discovered in late 2019 in the city of Wuhan.

Global companies, from mobile phone to chip makers, are highly dependent on China and Southeast Asia for production and have been diversifying their supply chains after the pandemic caused havoc.

Indian Consulate in Shanghai Closes

The Indian Consulate in Shanghai has announced the suspension of in-person consular services as China’s gleaming business hub with 26 million people struggled with mounting COVID-19 cases, putting the country’s dynamic zero-case policy to the test. Indian citizens in Eastern China Region may apply at the Embassy of India, Beijing for availing urgent consular services, the Consulate said in a notice issued on Tuesday.

“As the City of Shanghai continues to remain sealed and controlled in different degrees by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, the Consulate General of India will remain inaccessible and will not be in a position to provide consular services in person, said the notice posted on the Mission’s official website. During the period, the Consulate will remain operational in remote mode and may be reached for any consular emergency, it said, providing the mobile and phone numbers to contact the staff.

(With inputs from agencies)

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