Video has emerged of clashes between police and people being forced out of their homes in Shanghai, as the city enters a third week of Covid lockdown. Some residential compounds are being turned into quarantine centers. Millions are confined to their homes as Shanghai battles a fresh outbreak of the virus. Anyone who tests positive is placed in quarantine. But with more than 20,000 new cases a day, authorities are struggling to find enough space. The city in recent weeks has converted exhibition halls and schools into quarantine centers, and set up makeshift hospitals. But the low numbers of serious cases in Shanghai have led some to ask whether a lockdown is necessary, correspondents say. In recent weeks many residents have taken to social media to complain about the restrictions and the lack of food supplies. People have to order in food and water and wait for government drop-offs of vegetables, meat and eggs, and analysts say many are running low on supplies. The lockdown extension has overwhelmed delivery services, grocery shop websites and even the distribution of government supplies. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has sent teams to the city to help more than 660 companies in key sectors of the economy, such as semiconductor and car manufacturing, to resume production, reports state media. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Friday they would ensure the supply of medical goods and "ensure the smooth flow of supply chains". The move follows reports that parts of China's manufacturing sector might soon have to close, at least temporarily, because companies cannot get essential components from Shanghai. He Xiaopeng, president of electrical vehicle manufacturer Xiao Peng, said that if work did not start again in Shanghai during May, potentially all car factories across the country might have to stop operating. China is one of the last remaining nations still committed to eradicating Covid, in contrast to most of the world which is trying to live with the virus. But this zero-Covid policy has come under strain in recent weeks with the spread of the Omicron variant. — BBC
