Shanghai: Residents of China's financial hub Shanghai are facing the brunt of a stringent lockdown imposed by the government as a result of the resurrection of COVID-19 cases in the city.
The usual hustle and bustle of the city can no longer be seen now, as only healthcare workers, volunteers, delivery personnel, or people with special permission are allowed on the streets.
The city's 26 million population have been instructed to remain inside their house with videos posted by Shanghai residents on Twitter showing announcements being made by drones. The drones appeared in the sky after residents were found singing and protesting the lack of supplies on their balconies.
The video initially popped up on the Chinese social media platform Weibo and thereafter, the video managed to make its way to Twitter after it was spotted by some Chinese journalists.
As per the translation provided by the locals, the drones had instructed the people to abide by the COVID-19 restrictions and "control your desire for freedom".
Another similar video has surfaced which shows healthcare workers using megaphones to make public announcements on the streets of Shanghai.
In the video, the healthcare workers told the residents of the housing society to refrain from sleeping together. As if this was not enough, they even asked the couples to avoid kissing, hugging, and eating together.
Earlier, videos showing four-legged robots patrolling the streets of Shanghai and making health announcements cropped up on social media.
Meanwhile, the residents of the city are clearly dissatisfied with the distribution of food and essential goods due to COVID restrictions. The city administration has acknowledged the problem and vowed to improve the situation.
Shanghai's vice mayor Chen Tong said at a news conference on April 7 that the city has sufficient reserves of staples such as rice and meat but issues have emerged regarding distribution and last-mile deliveries as a result of epidemic control measures.
He went on to say that an attempt will be made to reopen wholesale markets and food stores and also allow for more delivery personnel out of locked-down areas.
He further added that officials will also crackdown on price gouging.
It is to be noted that Shanghai happens to be the hotspot of the current COVID-19 outbreak in China. Although the daily infection tally has dropped in the last few days, it is still remarkably high as compared to other countries.
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