Some residents of Shanghai stepped out of their homes for the first time in more than two weeks on Tuesday, as the city took tentative steps towards easing a Covid lockdown amid mounting worries over the economic impact of the strict curbs.
However, Nomura said there had been a big rise over the past week in the number of Chinese cities implementing either a partial or a full lockdown. As of Monday April 11, as many as 45 cities in China were implementing lockdowns, covering 373 million people – over a quarter of a population – and just over 40% of its GDP, it said.
“But these figures may significantly underestimate the full impact of the ratcheted up ZCS [Zero-Covid Strategy], as many other cities have been carrying out mass testing district by district, and mobility has been significantly restricted in most parts of China,” chief China economist Lu Ting said.
He added that local politicians “are highly incentivised to ratchet up containment measures” and that the Chinese economy “has been facing a rising risk of recession since mid-March”.
Respite For Some in Shanghai
Shanghai officials said on Monday that more than 7,000 residential units had been classified as lower-risk areas after reporting no new infections for 14 days, and its districts have since been announcing which specific compounds can be opened up.
But while some people were allowed out of their residences on Tuesday, there was still confusion about the extent to which those in the lower-risk zones were free to move, with many still awaiting permission from their residential committees.
City health official Wu Qianyu said at a press briefing that residents from lower-risk zones known as “prevention areas” were still subject to controls and would have to observe strict social distancing measures.
“After a long period of lockdown, it is understandable that people want to go out and get some air, and they need to go shopping for food and medicine and go for medical treatment,” she said. “But if lots of people gather in a disorderly way, it will cause hidden dangers to our epidemic prevention work.”
With the economy under increasing strain, efforts are being made in Shanghai to reopen supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies, but non-essential businesses will remain suspended, Liu Min, vice head of the city’s commercial commission, said.
Coordinated Containment Needed: Li
Premier Li Keqiang warned on Monday that China needed to be “highly vigilant” against further downward pressures on the economy and said the fight against Covid-19 needed to be “coordinated” with economic and social development.
China is also encouraging long-term investors to buy more equities and major shareholders of listed firms to increase their holdings when stocks slump, in a bid to stabilise a stock market rocked by the worsening Covid outbreak, the country’s securities watchdog said late on Monday.
China’s CSI300 index fell 3.1% on Monday, the biggest drop in a month. The benchmark was steady on Tuesday.
Shanghai recorded 22,348 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases on April 11, down from 25,173 a day earlier. Confirmed symptomatic cases stood at 994, up from 914.
- Reuters with additional editing by Jim Pollard
ALSO READ:
Shanghai to Ease Lockdown in Areas Despite Rise in Cases
Shanghai Vice-Mayor Admits Failures Amid Record Covid Cases
Chinese Oil Giant CNOOC to Raise $4.4bn in Shanghai Listing
