The news out of Shanghai is good. According to this twitter thread, the mega city has been on lockdown for two weeks now, and the situation is getting dire. Not enough food are being delivered to residents, and people are getting frustrated. There’s many things the Chinese can tolerate, but hunger is not one of them due to deep-seated historical trauma. China’s COVID zero policy will for sure fail if the government can’t feed the populace.
From the outside looking in, COVID zero seems to be an impossible goal anyways. The procedures in place are ultra draconian. The Chinese need an official smartphone app to go anywhere. A green stamp on the app means you’re free to move. A red means you must quarantine or face prison time. Mandatory testing can happen at anytime and at any hour. Should you be unlucky to be in a mall where someone else tests positive, you will get locked inside that mall until you yourself tests negative.
This is the same country that only a few months ago hosted the winter games!
My relatives in Guangzhou are also preparing for lockdowns that can happen at anytime. Seeing the situation in Shanghai, they are stocking up on non-perishable foods as much as possible. Again, just a few months ago they were gathering at a restaurant to celebrate Lunar New Year! It’s crazy how things can simply turn on a dime, all because the Chinese government will not tolerate even one case of COVID.
So long as COVID zero remains in effect, I don’t see how I can return home to China to see my relatives anytime soon. No doubt I will be forced to download an app that tracks my every movement. There will probably be quarantine requirements and multiple tests as well. There’s also the risk of being locked down and stuck in the country. Not worth the hassle at all.
It’s been almost two and a half years since I last traveled to China. Looks like it will be a whole while longer still until I can again.
Vanagon!