The disturbing audio of a woman welded into her home by Beijing Covid officials asking to be released after her mother jumped to her death has sparked anger in China.
The 29-year-old’s desperate appeal came after her mother, dubbed Ms. Wang, 55, fell from the window of the home they shared in apparent despair at the brutal lockdown conditions they were facing in the city of Hohhot . Inner Mongolia.
The region has been hit by a major Covid outbreak since late September, when a new Omicron variant was first discovered and the gates to Ms Wang’s apartment building were locked from the outside and residents could not open them from the inside.
Ms. Wang had an anxiety disorder and had reportedly been taking prescription medication for her condition since 2019.
Her daughter had raised concerns with the property manager on the morning of November 4 that her mother was having a nervous breakdown and contacted her again when her condition worsened.
What’s Up Weibo reported when the daughter asked the property manager to call 911, he said, “Call her yourself, I’m busy.”
No one came to check on Ms. Wang or her daughter. Ms. Wang jumped out of her apartment’s bedroom window after her daughter went into the living room to charge her phone.
Audio recordings of the woman’s daughter went viral on Chinese social media, banging on the gate and imploring community workers to open her mother’s door and help her.
The daughter shouted, “Open the gate, open the gate! I beg you please,” CNN said.
She urged the property manager to open the barriers, and when they finally opened, first responders found the daughter next to her mother’s body.
Authorities admitted their zero-Covid lockdown protocols were delaying their emergency response.
Ms. Wang, 55, lived with her 29-year-old daughter in an apartment building in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, which was completely closed due to Covid. She jumped to her death after her daughter repeatedly called for help as her mental health deteriorated on November 4
Audio recordings of the woman’s daughter went viral on Chinese social media, banging on the gate and imploring community workers to open her mother’s door and help her
The video has drawn attention to the mental health crises that have been exacerbated by weeks of lockdowns
Authorities admitted their zero-Covid lockdown protocols were delaying their emergency response. Pictured: Apartment blocks in the area after the incident
A clip was later posted online of officers disinfecting the area with chemicals
Wuhan subway passenger wraps herself in a plastic bag so she can eat a banana without breaking Covid rules
A hungry female passenger who wanted to eat a banana on a Wuhan subway wrapped herself in a giant plastic bag to avoid breaking Covid rules.
The woman was seen eating the banana before putting the peel in another small plastic bag she had bought with it.
Footage of the unusual incident was captured by another passenger named Wang.
He was amused and at first wondered if the woman was wearing a Halloween costume.
But then it dawned on him that due to COVID rules, people are currently not allowed to take off masks to eat on public transport, even though it was around the same time.
Speaking of the video, he said: “There are restrictions due to coronavirus outbreaks, but even during an outbreak it seemed a bit extreme for the woman to go so far as to grab a snack.”
After the video went viral online, a spokesman for the city’s metro said, “We want to remind people that food is not allowed on trains in Wuhan, like other Chinese cities.
“We urge anyone who discovers this to call our hotline and staff will look into the matter.”
The woman eats a banana on the train
The video has drawn attention to the mental health crises that have been exacerbated by weeks of lockdowns.
One comment on Weibo read, “Who has the right to weld shut building gates? Who is allowed to weld building gates shut?
“Who has the right to restrict the freedom of life of others? What if there is an earthquake or fire, who is responsible after that?’
A clip was later posted online of officers disinfecting the area with chemicals.
Officials have vowed to punish community workers who forcibly seal front doors and building gates with locks, despite widespread practice in lockdown areas.
It came days after a toddler died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu Province, after the emergency services’ slow response delayed hospital treatment.
In a viral social media post that was later deleted, the boy’s father blamed lockdown controls and community workers for barring them from the hospital, while county authorities later apologized for the incident.
Despite zero-Covid policies and militant lockdowns bringing the country to a standstill, China today reported its highest daily Covid case count.
The country recorded more than 5,600 cases today, almost half of them in Guangdong Province, a manufacturing hub in the south of the country where major ports are located.
Beijing over the weekend dashed hopes that its strict zero-Covid policy – which uses spot lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing to quell outbreaks – could soon be eased.
However, the ongoing lockdowns have sparked scandals, with residents complaining of inadequate conditions, food shortages and delayed emergency medical supplies.
A grueling lockdown at the world’s largest iPhone factory, based in Zhengzhou, has temporarily disrupted production of Apple products, meaning customers would experience delays in receiving their orders.
Apple said in a statement yesterday, “The facility is currently operating at a significantly reduced capacity.”
Foxconn, Apple’s main subcontractor that runs the plant, today revised down its quarterly profit forecast due to the lockdown.
China’s National Health Commission vowed on Saturday to stand by zero-Covid “unwaveringly” and launched a major stock market rally last week on unfounded rumors that Beijing was about to ease its tough virus policy.
A woman lowers her mask to have a swab for a COVID test in Beijing yesterday
A woman wearing a face mask uses an iPhone as she walks a street in Beijing today
A grueling lockdown at the world’s largest iPhone factory, based in Zhengzhou, has temporarily disrupted production of Apple products, meaning customers would experience delays in receiving their orders. Pictured: An Apple Store in Beijing
Apple warns of delays in latest iPhone 14 models after Chinese lock down area around huge factory over Covid fears
Tech giant Apple has warned the latest iPhone 14 models could be delayed after the area around the huge factory in China went into lockdown over Covid fears.
In an announcement on Sunday, the company said the factory operated by Foxconn in Zhengzhou is “operating at significantly reduced capacity.”
The company said: “We now expect fewer iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than previously expected.
“Customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products.”
Foxconn previously imposed anti-Covid measures on the factory following outbreaks of the virus.
Previously, Apple and Foxconn had not responded to questions about how iPhone production might be affected.
Access to the industrial area where the factory is located was blocked for seven days last week after a spike in infections and the withdrawal of workers from the factory.
The plant is expected to face further disruption due to the lockdown following a spate of coronavirus infections and an exodus of workers in recent weeks.
Some of the workers who left the factory fled the area on foot.
In a statement, Foxconn said it is downgrading its outlook for this quarter due to the lockdown.
The company said, “Foxconn is now working with the government to stamp out the pandemic and resume production at full capacity as soon as possible.”
It also said the provincial government would “fully assist” Foxconn in managing the pandemic prevention and operation of the facility.
On the Zhengzhou plant’s WeChat social media account yesterday, the company posted that a “closed-loop” system would restrict its employees’ travel between their dormitories and the factory premises to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 deal with.
Typically, the last quarter of the year is a busy season for companies like Foxconn as they ramp up production ahead of the year-end holiday rush.
Apple said, “We are working closely with our supplier to return to normal production levels while ensuring the health and safety of all workers.”
In a statement, Foxconn said it is downgrading its outlook for this quarter due to the lockdown. The company said, “Foxconn is now working with the government to stamp out the pandemic and resume production at full capacity as soon as possible.” Pictured: The Foxconn factory in May (file image)