The Lens: China’s Guangzhou region sees rebound in coronavirus cases as country sticks to zero-Covid policy

Reuters and Yanni Chow

Millions of residents of China’s southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou were told last Wednesday to get tested for Covid-19, as infections topped 2,000 for two days running in the city’s worst outbreak so far.

As local cases across China reached their highest levels since April 30, authorities announced on social media that five districts, representing more than half of Guangzhou’s population of almost 19 million, would need to be tested for coronavirus.

The latest round of mass testing in Guangzhou comes as China battles a rebound in infections in several economically vital cities, including its capital Beijing, as well as Zhengzhou and Chongqing, which have dampened hopes that the world’s second-largest economy would ease Covid curbs and restrictions anytime soon.

In the latest sign of how anti-virus measures are crushing consumer demand, China’s factory gate prices for October dropped for the first time since December 2020 and consumer inflation moderated, in part due to strict Covid curbs.

Coronavirus: Outbreak traps visitors at Shanghai Disney

In central China, Apple supplier Foxconn said it would continue to maintain closed-loop operations - a system where staff live on-site, isolated from the wider world - at its iPhone plant in Zhengzhou, even as the economic zone that housed the factory lifted a seven-day lockdown.

The Zhengzhou plant is the world’s largest iPhone factory, with some 200,000 workers. In recent weeks, many have fled, capturing their escapes on social media, due to their frustrations over how Covid has been handled and the treatment of employees, including what they said were insufficient provisions of food.

Foxconn has declined to disclose the number of infections or comment on the conditions of those infected. The issues at the plant have hit iPhone production, prompting Apple to say that it expects reduced shipments of its premium iPhone 14 models.

• How has China’s economy been affected by its anti-Covid measures?

• How have people in China reacted to the country’s zero-Covid policy?

Hong Kong students’ happiness is dropping, and Covid rules and study stress are to blame

Judy Hon, Pope Paul VI College

I was shocked and saddened when I read about the crowd crush tragedy in Seoul. It was the first large-scale Halloween event since the start of the pandemic, and people were eager to celebrate.

Unfortunately, people were crowded into the small, sloping alleys of Itaewon district, which caused them to collapse one by one and bury people underneath each other, resulting in suffocation and death.

Records show that people had tried calling the authorities to report their concerns before the incident and that there was a lack of police presence in the area. This accident shows South Korea needs more crowd control measures for its large-scale events.

What is a crowd surge and how did it happen in Seoul?

Failure to control the amount and movement of people in small areas will lead to more accidents like this, resulting in more injuries or deaths. It also appears that some people reacted to the chaos in a way that worsened the crush; video footage from the incident shows people shouting and even pushing others.

The Korean government should improve preventive measures to avoid similar accidents. In addition, people should also be cautious and protect themselves; for example, avoid celebrating in a crowded place and make sure you know where the exits are if you are at a large event.

The accident caused many deaths and shocked the world. The Korean government should learn its lesson and implement better crowd control policies to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.

The Lens: Halloween crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district leaves dozens dead