China: Piles of metal boxes house to COVID positive patients were seen floating across the social media as China imposed its draconian rules to curb the spread. Ahead of the Winter Olympics at Beijing, nightmarish scenes from several provinces of the country surfaced where flights of buses ferried people to quarantine camps.
Several media houses reported forced isolations based on the posts on social media, which talk about the situation in Xi’an, Anyang and Yuzhou, where people have been quarantined after a few cases of Omicron were reported. Be it a pregnant lady or a child, all stand equal in eyes of authorities once a single infection is detected in a locality. The isolation boxes furnished with wooden bed and toilet form home for an infected individual for as long as two weeks.
These measures as a part of China’s strict zero Covid policy – are aimed at eliminating the outbreak before Lunar New Year and the Winter Olympics next month. Mandatory track and trace apps mean close contact is usually detected and quickly quarantined. Currently, 22 million residents across the country have been barred from leaving homes for even essential activities.
China has undoubtedly been the most capable nation that swiftly managed the spread of the virus first detected in 2019 in Wuhan. Ramping up its mass screening formula and expediting the vaccination program the mainland nation has efficiently manoeuvred the pandemic.