Shanghai authorities fence off buildings where at least one person tested positive for COVID-19

Authorities in Shanghai have erected fences outside residential buildings in an attempt to contain Covid-19 cases.

Workers, who were dressed in hazmat suits, sealed off entrances to housing blocks and closed off entire streets using two-metre green fencing. These actions caused anger on social media and from residents.

“This is so disrespectful of the rights of the people inside, using metal barriers to enclose them like domestic animals,” said one user on social media platform Weibo.

One video showed residents shouting from balconies at workers trying to set up fencing. Other videos showed people trying to pull fences down. “Isn’t this a fire hazard?” asked another Weibo user.

Many of the fences were erected around compounds designated “sealed areas,” which are buildings where at least one person tested positive for Covid-19, meaning residents are forbidden from leaving their residences.

A notice dated Saturday from one local authority shared online said it was imposing “hard quarantine” in some areas. Reuters was not able to verify the authenticity of the notice or all of the images, but saw green fencing on a street in central Shanghai on Sunday.

Reuters has also seen police in hazmat suits patrolling Shanghai streets, setting up road blocks and asking pedestrians to return home.