Authorities conduct daily tests on the population of Shanghai, here in Pudong district on April 17, 2022. LIU JIN / AFP
China reported three deaths from Covid-19 in Shanghai on Monday, April 18, the first officially reported since containment began in late March in the country’s economic capital. The Asian giant, which has a zero-Covid strategy, has so far officially recorded just 4,641 deaths related to the coronavirus, which was first spotted on its soil in late 2019.
In a statement released on social media, the Shanghai Mayor’s Office said the three deceased were elderly and had underlying medical conditions. The two deaths previously announced in China were announced in mid-March in Jilin Province (northeast), which borders North Korea.
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Shanghai is the scene of the worst virus contagion in China since the epidemic began, with tens of thousands of new cases being reported every day. Its 25 million inhabitants have been in strict solitary confinement since the end of March, many of them complaining about supply problems, among other things.
Economic boom
Beijing on Monday announced a rebound in its first-quarter economic growth (+4.8% over a year) despite restrictions in Shanghai and several regions severely impacting activities. The Chinese economy is facing “major challenges”. admitted a senior official during a news conference.
While caution is warranted, the official figure for China’s gross domestic product (GDP) is still under scrutiny, given the country’s weight in the global economy. The announced increase was widely expected. In the fourth quarter of 2021, China’s GDP had increased by 4% within a year.
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China, which had largely brought the Covid-19 epidemic under control on its soil for two years, is facing the worst outbreak of cases. In March, tens of millions of people were or are locked up in the technology metropolis of Shenzhen (south) in the north-east of the country, the cradle of the automotive industry, and in Shanghai.
company at a standstill
Unlike many countries that choose to “coexist” with the virus and lift restrictions, China continues to pursue a zero-Covid policy. These measures seriously affect transport and supply chains and have brought many companies to a standstill.
These difficulties came on top of those already weighing on the Chinese economy in recent months: sluggish consumption, tighter regulations in several sectors such as real estate and technology, and uncertainties surrounding the war in Ukraine.
In March, retail sales, the main indicator of household spending, fell by 3.5% on a yearly basis, after an unexpected acceleration from January to February combined (+ 6.7% over a year), the only data released at the time.
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