(Above) "Personal in Hazmat suits disinfecting a street in downtown Shanghai" 2022 by CISSY ZHOU,
Imagine leaving your apartment to embark on your modest profession of delivering food to the city of Shanghai, but being barred from ever returning back home. Now, without a home, you must search for places of shelter to seek refuge at night, with the danger of being expelled by police. Additionally, food and drink are hard to encounter, due to the citywide closure of restaurants and public kitchens. Alongside these burdens tied around your waist, you are one of 20,000 delivery drivers undertaking the distribution of critical supplies to the population of 25 million people. Failure to do your job adequately could result in the death of many, through starvation. These are the lives endured by a number of civilians dwelling in the city of Shanghai, which is undergoing the harshest lockdown induced by the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in the city. With civilians prohibited from leaving their home establishments, the mundane profession of delivering food has now become a crucial job, with many lives depending on it.
Shanghai has been on perpetual lockdown for upwards of 40 days now, with no end in sight. The campaign is part of China’s “Zero-Covid” policy, which aims to eradicate COVID from the nation completely, rather than living with the virus (Under Shanghai Lockdown…) This is a rather unconventional approach to controlling the spread of COVID, with the majority of other nations around the world resulting in achieving herd immunity through infection, as well as high vaccination rates. Nevertheless, Shanghai’s bold strategy to limit citizens to the confines of their walls has left 25 million people grappling for survival, with a number of less-fortunate civilians running out of essential items without a steady income.
Why Is Shanghai not Following the Lead of Other Nations?
Considering China ranks 10th in the world for vaccination rates among the population, many are baffled with the decision to lockdown the biggest metropolitan in the nation (Tracking COVID Vaccines…). With 90% of the population receiving double-doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, shouldn’t the government be taking a more liberal approach to containment? The truth of the matter however, is that these high vaccination rates are rather deceitful, due to the efficacy of the vaccines utilized on civilians.
The Chinese government commenced their vaccination program on the 31st of December 2020; only one year following the discovery of the virus itself (Tracking COVID Vaccines…). The Sinovac vaccine led the forefront of the campaign, with all recipients being jabbed with the Chinese-Made vaccine for many months. The vaccine works by using an inactivated spike protein from the CoronaVirus, which triggers an immune response once injected (Reuters Staff). Although a traditional method for a range of vaccines outside of COVID, the science differs from other mainstream COVID vaccines, which utilize newer mRNA technology.
Although premature clinical trials on the Sinovac vaccine showed a 78% efficacy rate, over the next following months, this number trickled down to 51%, barely meeting the criteria to be considered as an usable vaccine (New York Times). Furthermore, additional research displayed a staggering decline in efficacy following two months of being inoculated. The Chinese government has been reluctant to introduce foreign vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna, which have proven effective in other nations worldwide. The reason behind this is unclear, however experts believe motivation stems from the nationalist ideologies of the government, who believe the procurement of foreign vaccines will deem other nations “superior to them” (Zeng Guang).
Nevertheless, the stringent lockdown imposed on citizens in Shanghai seems to be depleting views on the government regardless. Civilians are outraged by the management of the situation, with many calling it “inhumane,” and “uncalculated.” Moreover, the lockdown has exhibited the government's distrust over local-made vaccines, which have been proven fairly ineffective.
The burden on delivery drivers
Populace of Shanghai are struggling to endure through the lockdown, with inhabitants in China’s richest city going hungry. With the inability to leave your home establishments and procure essential items necessary for daily living, civilians are beginning to grapple to stay afloat. The only hope: delivery drivers.
“I've been so busy. So many people need supplies. I make deliveries all day long, then when it's approaching midnight, I look for a place to sleep.”
A delivery driver roaming the streets of Shanghai, working to deliver essential goods to civilians shares his story with reporters at BBC. He wishes to remain anonymous.
“I left my apartment on 8 April and haven't been back since. The Shanghai government allows delivery riders to leave and enter their residential compounds. But the compounds insist on enforcing their own policies, and most don't allow riders to return to their own homes.”
I had to look for a new place to sleep [after being exiled from his compound]. Sleeping under a bridge just comes naturally to us delivery riders - it can block out the wind and rain. I usually fall asleep immediately after lying down - I feel so tired by then!
So what now?
With Shanghai approaching its second month of being locked down, there seems to be no end in sight. Officials seem determined to eradicate COVID from the roots up, striving for zero community cases in the city. With transmissions platoeing over recent weeks, civilians are hopeful for a return to normality. Considering the persistence of the virus, the Chinese government must begin planning for the future, as another outbreak is nearly certain. The question is,
How will they handle it?
Work cited
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lemonde.fr%2Fen%2Feconomy%2Farticle%2F2022%2F04%2F18%2Fshanghai-lockdown-comes-at-increasing-costs-for-china_5980833_19.html&psig=AOvVaw1Mi_PS6uY-7t9JR7q-0j1o&ust=1652851731063000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjRxqFwoTCNi_5NTm5fcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-61270253