Chinese authorities have warned Shanghai residents from posting about the Covid lockdown. Since the lockdown was imposed in the city of 25 million people, residents have been complaining about food shortages and lack of access to medical care.
The lockdown was imposed due to a spike in cases in the financial hub. About 90% of new cases in China have been recorded in Shanghai.
Related: Chinese social media censors lockdown complaints
On Friday, Shanghai’s internet watchdog warned residents against posting about the lockdown, encouraging them to “distinguish rumors from facts.”
Since the start of the lockdown, there have been numerous complaints made by residents on social media about the lockdown, most of them about lack of access to food and medical care. On Weibo, a pregnant woman complained that she was turned away from hospital because she tested positive.
Internet censors have been quick to remove such posts.
Speaking to the Financial Times, an executive that has lived in Shanghai for more than 10 years said: “It’s the first time in my life I’ve had to worry about securing food. Now, I’m worried we’ll run out of milk for the kids.”
The lockdown has strained the food delivery industry, with delivery drivers having to cancel orders as they cannot meet the demand.
“The whole city logs on to food delivery apps at the crack of dawn to get their hands on produce,” said a resident who secured a food delivery after multiple failed tries. “It felt like winning the lottery.”
The situation in Shanghai is causing panic in other parts that have not been put in lockdown.
“There is plenty of food, but the prices at the markets skyrocketed because people are scared of a potential lockdown,” said a woman from Taiyuan, located in the Shanxi province in the north. The panic began after the city recorded less than ten cases this week.
