Shanghai permitted 4 million more people out of their homes on Wednesday as the antivirus measures that shut down China’s largest metropolis loosened. At the same time, the International Monetary Fund lowered its economic growth prediction for China and warned that the worldwide flow of industrial goods could be disrupted.
Following the first phase of easing last week, approximately 12 million people in the city of 25 million are now free to go outside, according to health official Wu Ganyu. Wu stated the virus was “under effective control” in some city regions for the first time.
“The battle against the virus in Shanghai is at a critical moment, so no let-up is allowed,” the Shanghai government stated in a statement quoting Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan, who has been in charge of the City’s antivirus efforts since April 2.
China’s government reported 19,927 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, of which over 2,700 were asymptomatic. Of these cases, 95%, or 18,902, were in Shanghai, and 2,495 presented symptoms.
Seven individuals with COVID-19 died Tuesday, according to the Shanghai city health administration, but the fatalities were caused by cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. All but two were over the age of 60.
As far as the economy, several local plants, such as Tesla and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, have been standing idle since March 28. Shanghai officials would like these and other facilities to resume production. After the week-long hiatus, Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 began to make Model 3s and Model Ys on Tuesday.
According to official data released this week, economic growth in the first three months of this year was lower than in the final quarter of 2021.
Chinese leaders have committed to transition to a “dynamic clearing” policy, which isolates neighborhoods and other smaller areas rather than entire cities, to lessen the human and economic costs of disease control. After Shanghai officials were scolded for not responding aggressively enough, many regions appeared to adopt more stringent rules.
Also on Wednesday, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture issued an order to local officials to prevent any actions that could obstruct farmers’ spring planting, which feeds China’s 1.4 billion people. The decision came after concerns that wheat and other crop output could be interrupted, increasing demand for imports and driving up high global prices.
Though lockdowns are easing in Shanghai, they may be getting worse in other areas. For example, the City of Harbin will not allow its residents to leave downtown unless absolutely necessary, and they must provide negative COVID test results to do so.
