China: Drone footage of locked down Shanghai emerges

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Shanghai was plunged into a new lockdown last week after the number of cases of Coronavirus surged once again, spurring Chinese officials to take action to curb the infection. Drone footage of the usually bustling business center is completely devoid of human presence bar from a couple of cars driving down the empty streets. The video was made eerier by the ringing of the bell of the clock tower in the Bund and Nanjing Road shopping districts marking the passing of time with nay a sound otherwise.

The video, shared by epidemiologist Dr Eric Ding on Twitter, juxtaposes the images of the empty streets with footage filmed ahead of the lockdown, showing the streets busting with people and life.

Dr Ding commented: “Lockdown Ghost City 2022.

“The normally bustling Bund & Nanjing Road shopping districts are devoid of people.

“This is next to impossible in a city of 25-35 million, yet here we are.”

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BBC China correspondent Stephen McDonnell shared the video and drew a stark comparison between lockdown Shanghai and a “post-apocalyptic” scenario.

He wrote: “#Covid lockdown #Shanghai looks like something from a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie… #China.”

Mr McDonnell added: “Given the growing #Covid infection numbers in #Shanghai, the government’s current “Zero Covid” approach must surely mean a lot more lockdown time for the city’s 25 million residents. #China

“Prior to the current East-then-West full shutdown for 4 or 5 days each, there were already parts of #Shanghai under #Covid lockdown.

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“There will be more parts of the city locked down after the current mass testing of 25 million residents. #China #Omicron outbreaks growing.”

The BBC reporter added: “The three hurdles to the government of #China switching #Covid policy: 1. Many more vaccine booster shots needed for elderly.

“2. The Party has been boasting about its policy as a contrast to the approach overseas so it’d need to explain why it too has decided to open up and 3…

“And 3. The Party Congress this October will be when Xi Jinping enters his historic third term. He doesn’t want this with #Covid outbreaks everywhere.

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“If it was an unmanageable health emergency that’d be bad; if it spread and was actually quite manageable could be worse for him?”

Shanghai officials on Sunday ordered its 26 million residents to undergo two more rounds of tests for coronavirus as public anger grows over how authorities are tackling a record coronavirus surge.

Residents have been told to self-test on Sunday using antigen kits and report any positive results.

Wu Qianyu, an inspector from Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said: “The main task is to completely eliminate risk points and to cut off the chain of transmission so that we can curb the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible.

All of China’s financial capital is locked down after the city began curbing movement in its eastern districts last Monday.

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