Healthcare

Even with the easing of lockdown measures across China, the prolonged uncertainty has left a deep impact on youths. The grim employment outlook, volatile pandemic situation, along with the lack of mental health support, have led to elevated feelings of anxiety and insecurity among the young generation.

The seemingly unending lockdown in Shanghai has taken a toll on investor confidence, leading to some entrepreneurs and companies talking about leaving the city. Zaobao’s Shanghai correspondent Chen Jing surveys the short-term reactions and long-term outlook of China's top financial city.

China’s use of the health code for pandemic control has illustrated the potential of digital technologies in the 21st century. However, there are concerns about the blurring of the lines between digital surveillance and public service provision, and fears that tech giants and local governments will take advantage of the greater access to personal data they have been given.

Fears and anxiety from Shanghai’s dire Covid-19 situation is spreading to other cities. In particular, Beijing is now seeing panic buying and residents preparing for the worst. People are getting ready for a lockdown that may not even happen, but given their ordeal in the early outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, their fears are not unfounded. Zaobao's Beijing correspondent Yang Danxu reveals the situation on the ground.

A recent false rumour of an impending lockdown in Shanghai led to panic buying and disorder not usually seen in Shanghai, a well-run city that follows the rules. But it is not so much that people can’t tell fact from fiction, but that recent U-turns by the officials have led people to start relying on the grapevine. What should the authorities do to win back the people’s trust?

The dire pandemic situation in Hong Kong has trickled into Shenzhen through legal and illegal border crossings. However, the city has been trying its best to implement anti-epidemic measures without significantly impacting people’s daily lives. Chinese commentator Chen Bing notes Shenzhen's transparency and openness in tackling the pandemic situation, and how its policy differs from the one-size-fits-all measures of some Chinese local governments.

This month China has seen its worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Shanghai, once seen as a role model for fighting the virus, is succumbing under the weight of increasing infections. As such, the “Shanghai model” which allows for a balance of anti-epidemic measures and economic activity has been pushed into the spotlight. Can the Shanghai model still be emulated by other regions of China? Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu looks at the various issues discouraging China from easing its anti-epidemic measures and policy.

More than half a year after an infectious diseases expert was shot down for proposing living with the virus, Chinese epidemiologist Zeng Guang has cautiously signalled that perhaps it is time for China to transition away from its dynamic zero-Covid policy. Zaobao correspondent Chen Jing reports that Chinese netizens are showing their support for this, voicing their frustration with the prolonged restrictions, while official statistics show a struggling recovery in domestic consumption. Will the benefits of China’s dynamic zero-Covid continue to outweigh its costs?

Taiwan is set to become a super-aged society in 2025. At present, a considerable proportion of its elderly face poor living conditions, with 430,000 living in old residential buildings without elevator access. There is also a sizeable number of elderly folk who are homeless and living on the streets. What are the authorities doing to meet the living needs of the elderly and provide them with support? How are community groups playing a role?