Tuesday 10 May 2022 09:47 AM China Covid: Woman dragged from her home as virus restrictions tighten trends now
Videos showing people being dragged from their homes have flooded Chinese social media in a sign of growing frustration as Communist rulers once again tightened Covid lockdown rules.
One video, reportedly taken in the virus hotspot of Shanghai, showed a screaming woman being dragged from her home by hazmat-suited government workers while her weeping child tried in vain to stop them.
The footage emerged after city officials announced a new round of mass testing and changed rules so that anyone living in the same building as a confirmed case now risks being carted off to a state quarantine facility.
Previously, only those living in the same apartment or on the same floor as a case were deemed to be close contacts and forced to go into quarantine.
Meanwhile Beijing's largest district was closed down with shops shut and residents told to stay home due to rising cases, as the capital edged close to a full shut-down.
Videos of people being dragged away by government health workers in China have flooded social media as frustration with its zero-Covid policy grows
China is now virtually the only country in the world to continue pursuing a 'zero-Covid' strategy - meaning strict lockdown rules for only minor outbreaks that last as long as it takes for cases to fall back to zero.
Despite signs the policy is damaging the world's second-largest economy, Xi Jinping issued a decree reaffirming his commitment to the policy just last week - warning against 'any slackening' of virus controls.
'Our prevention and control policies can withstand the test of history, our measures are scientific and effective,' a statement from the ruling party's highest body said.
'We have won the battle to defend Wuhan, we can also win the battle to defend Shanghai.'
But the growing number of videos posted on Chinese social media - most of which were quickly pulled down by state censors - shows patience is wearing thin.
Frustration has been building for weeks, particularly in Shanghai, where anti-virus measures are being enforced with little or no warning and no communication about what they are for.
For example, many residents were baffled to find miles of green fencing criss-crossing the city a few weeks ago with some buildings completely shut off - and no explanation given as to why.
Now, authorities have ordered another round of mass testing and
