Life in Beijing these days is spent either in lockdown or preparing for lockdown. Stockpiling food at home, just in case, has become the new norm. Meeting friends is hard because every few weeks one of us is sealed inside their home for days. Carrying out the daily routine of only working, eating and sleeping … Read more
Protests have broken out in China’s far western Xinjiang region, in the latest demonstration of public anger towards the country’s zero-Covid policy and strict lockdown rules. Crowds chanted ‘End the lockdown’ at hazmat-suited guards following a fire in a high-rise building that killed 10 people in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital. According to users on Chinese social … Read more
Protests have broken out in China’s far western Xinjiang region, with crowds shouting at hazmat-suited guards after a deadly fire triggered anger over their prolonged Covid-19 lockdown as nationwide infections set another record. Crowds chanted “End the lockdown,” pumping their fists in the air as they walked down a street, according to videos circulated on … Read more
Monday I appreciate that I am about to hang my dirty – or at least selfish and unreflective – washing out here for all to see but … I’ve only just started to appreciate how terrible the pandemic and lockdowns must have been for extroverts. Last week, I had to go out two nights in … Read more
People of colour were more likely than white people to be fined for attending illegal raves or other events featuring “amplified music” during Covid lockdowns in England and Wales, data has shown. According to figures released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council under freedom of information laws, 441 fines were issued to people across England … Read more
Uganda on Saturday extended a three-week lockdown on two districts at the centre of an Ebola outbreak which has claimed over 50 lives, curbing travel and closing public places. Since the outbreak was declared in the central district of Mubende on September 20, the disease has spread across the East African nation, including the capital … Read more
Authorities in Zhengzhou have been accused of “performative lockdown lifting” after they partially lifted restrictions amid growing pressure from residents and the reported arrival of state media. An almost month-long lockdown in the Chinese city of about 12 million people had prompted complaints of arduous conditions, sometimes violent enforcement, inadequate medical care, and worsening mental … Read more
Unverified videos shared on Chinese social media showed people who are allegedly workers at the Foxconn plant climbing over fences and carrying their belongings along a road. Workers from China’s largest iPhone factory have reportedly been fleeing the factory amid fears of full-scale lockdowns in Covid-hit Zhengzhou. Foxconn, an Apple supplier headquartered in Taiwan, has about 200,000 … Read more
Visitors to Shanghai’s Disney resort were trapped inside for the second time in 12 months after authorities and operators announced a sudden lockdown as part of China’s strict pandemic response. In a repeat of scenes from across Covid-zero China, viral videos on Monday appeared to show guests rushing to the locked gates of the theme … Read more
Australia’s Covid-19 response failed the nation’s most vulnerable people and in many cases amounted to overreach, according to a new report. The report, Fault lines: an independent review into Australia’s response to Covid-19, led by former public servant Peter Shergold, also found some lockdowns and border closures were not necessary and schools should have remained … Read more