China's largest city was put under a bell for two months in the spring to stem the worst outbreak of Covid-19 in the country since the start of the epidemic.

The particularly strict confinement of the economic capital has been a test for its 25 million inhabitants, partly faced with problems of supply of fresh produce.

The draconian measures to fight against the virus, including the systematic placement of positive cases in a quarantine center, had provoked the exasperation of the population.

Shanghai lifted most of the restrictions on June 1, but some neighborhoods were temporarily confined after the detection of sporadic cases.

Since Sunday, a rebound has been observed: Shanghai reported 24 additional cases on Wednesday.

To identify contact cases, most districts have launched screening tests.

"I really don't want to do it, it's useless," resident Alice Chan told AFP, who however resolved to do so for fear of seeing her health pass turn red.

“People are no longer afraid of the Covid, they are afraid of being locked up at home,” notes Yao, a Shanghainese who did not wish to give his last name.

"I don't think the (health) situation will improve in the short term," he said.

Air of deja vu

Shanghai closed all of its karaoke bars on Wednesday, with some cases appearing to be linked, authorities said.

Five weeks after the lifting of a difficult confinement, some residents fear a return to tougher restrictions.

A concern amplified by the reception by some households of food rations, according to messages widely shared on social networks.

"The Putuo district (in central Shanghai, editor's note) is sending vegetables again," wrote a resident on WeChat messaging.

The Department of Health reported nearly 300 new cases nationwide on Wednesday.

The main affected area is the eastern province of Anhui, where 1.7 million people in two rural townships are currently confined.

More than a thousand cases have been identified there since last week, with contaminations which are now spreading to Jiangsu province (east), bordering Shanghai and an important manufacturing region.

Zero Covid put to the test

Some 1,400 km away, the large city of Xi'an (north) reimposes "control measures", after an outbreak of Omicron linked to the BA.5.2 sub-lineage, according to local health authorities.

This strain is reputed to be more contagious but less virulent.

It nevertheless constitutes a new challenge for China, one of the last countries to apply a so-called “zero Covid” strategy in the face of the epidemic.

This health policy consists of massive screenings, mandatory quarantines in the event of a positive PCR test and targeted confinements.

The government considers this method necessary to save medical resources and preserve the elderly, whose vaccination rate is relatively low.

But it is dealing a severe blow to economic activity with many businesses closed or operating at idle.

According to estimates by Nomura Bank, at least 114 million Chinese are currently subject to various travel restrictions, including confinements.

They were 66 million a week ago.

© 2022 AFP