‘Too high a price’: Why some residents oppose Shanghai lockdowns
Hunkered down in a Shanghai high-rise apartment stocked with bags of rice and flour, cooking oil, and vegetables, Liu Zhen is resigned to the government-imposed lockdown – her first of the pandemic – even though she considers it overkill.
“The lockdown isn’t necessary,” says the retired schoolteacher, who’s asked to use a pseudonym to protect her identity, as she braces herself for isolation in Shanghai’s Pudong District. “Omicron has limited harm to our health. Our megacity should not come to a standstill!”
Yet far below Mrs. Liu’s home, traffic is virtually absent from Shanghai streets. A few food delivery workers on motorcycles rush to fill an onslaught of takeout and grocery orders, as panic-buying has left some store shelves empty.
