China's COVID zero policy isn't exactly going as planned. According to a new Bloomberg report published Friday, COVID-19 cases are still on the rise and causing civilian deaths despite strict lockdown rules.
According to the outlet there were 23,370 new local infections reported in Shanghai on Friday, a sharp increase from the previous day's total of 7,629 new cases. Of the 12 deaths reported on Friday the patients were, on average, around 88 years old and suffered from underlying conditions. Those deaths make the total death toll due to recent infections equal 48 people, prompting officials to double down on quarantines.
"We are not ready to loosen the Covid zero policy," Liang Wannian, top epidemiologist in China, said during a state media interview Bloomberg translated. "We’ll stick to the policy to maximize our protection of people’s lives and the social and economic development."
Unfortunately, the current policies aren't really protecting everyone.
Previous Futurism coverage showed Shanghai residents screaming in protest out their windows about starvation, because many residents are running low on food and supplies following weeks of lockdown. Thousands can't even leave their homes, and the government doesn't seem able to provide its people with adequate food and rations.
Censors have been overwhelmed by the onslaught of photos and social media complaints and seem unable to silence residents' rage, although the government's clearly trying. A previous video clip shows a dystopian recording about controlling the "hunger for freedom" being broadcast from a drone flying around apartments and neighborhoods.
It's absolutely awful to know people are still falling ill with COVID and that community elders have passed away. High risk populations are no less important in terms of COVID prevention.
Surely, though, starvation, mass protest and what is essentially house arrest aren't the best solutions China's government can come up with.
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