Heartbreaking video shows 'barbarous' reality of China's Covid lockdown
Sad video of a young child trudging along while clad head to toe in PPE has emerged online, further fuelling criticism of the harsh reality of China's Covid-zero strategy.
Shanghai health authorities on Monday moved to defend its draconian measure of removing Covid positive children, including babies, from their parents.
The city's lockdown was extended after more than 13,000 new Covid-19 cases on Monday. The restrictions have triggered growing discontent among its 26 million people.
Yet authorities have reiterated their commitment to the nation's relentless strategy.
"We must adhere to the general policy of dynamic clearance without hesitation, without wavering," local health official Wu Qianyu told a briefing.
Among an increasing number of videos emerging on social media of scenarios unfathomable for residents of nations now living with Covid, one clip circulating online has laid bare the devastating sacrifices families are forced to take.
A child is seen wearing an adult's PPE hazmat suit, nearly tripping up on its long legs as the suit's arms extend way beyond the child's hands.
They are surrounded by a raft of pandemic workers, directing the disorientated child to an ambulance. It is unclear when and where the video is from, with some speculating online the video is from China's west.
A separate video shared to Douyin, China's version of TikTok, shows multiple babies and toddlers, believed to be Covid positive, grouped together in a hospital.
A video uploaded to TikTok was alleged to show the isolated minors at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. The kids (including one 58-day-old) who tested positive were separated from parents. 10 nurses are taking care of 200 kids. The original video has now been removed. pic.twitter.com/OA9BCfmtpi
— Chu Yang (@ChuYang_Journ) April 1, 2022
Health authorities say children are taken to public health care facilities and provided with adequate paediatric care, while facilities to allow parents without Covid to accompany their children are being created.
However the unverified videos have triggered a wave of anger, many accusing authorities of being "inhumane".
Indo-Pacific defence policy expert Blake Herzinger branded the policy of removing children from their parents as "barbarous".
State media publication The Paper fact checked several images circulating online of multiple children on hospital beds lining a corridor.
Health authorities said the images were taken at a period when the health facility was migrating to a larger area.
With surging cases, Gu Honghui, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government, revealed a round of testing targeting the city's entire population has been completed, adding the city's intention to "ramp up" efforts surrounding isolation.
"We will go all out," he stressed.
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