Fear of quarantine camps, not Covid-19 pandemic, is shutting Beijing down

There are serious ramifications to being exposed to Covid-19 in China — and not just infection. As the country confronts its biggest outbreak ever, residents in major cities are hunkering down because of the prospect of being sent to a quarantine camp or locked down at home.

Going out in the capital of Beijing means having to scan a QR code to enter venues like shops and restaurants, or to even take public transportation. 

Under the country’s ubiquitous contract-tracing surveillance system, visiting the same places as someone who later turns up infected can land one in a government isolation facility, where conditions can be so poor that some people say they are buying chamber pots and portable tents in preparation. 

The capital has largely battened down. People are staying at home as transmission increases, even though the overall risk of infection remains low, with 1,854 cases reported for the city of 22 million people on Thursday.

“I’m not scared of getting infected at all,” said Liu, a 36 year-old. “I’m in fear of getting locked down or even sent to a quarantine facility. There’s a higher chance I end up there if I get into public venues,” she said.

The food situation in the city underscores the point. Stores are stocked with items that residents might need during a lockdown. But are also largely devoid of shoppers. 

PBoC to inject $70-bn liquidity 

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC)  cut the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves for the second time this year, releasing about 500 billion yuan ($69.8 billion) in long-term liquidity. PBoC said it would cut the reserve requirement ratio for banks by 25 basis points, effective from December 5.

Xi resumes physical meets summits 

A maskless President Xi Jinping met Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel in Beijing, resuming his flurry of in-person summits even as a record Covid surge fanned lockdown fears in the Chinese capital. The meeting was Xi’s first public appearance since returning six days ago from meetings in Southeast Asia.