Shanghai, China, is currently under indefinite lockdown due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. As per reports, there were 20,000 cases reported on Thursday in the biggest city in China. BBC’s report suggested the residents are running out of food. On Wednesday, the city started another round of mandatory mass testing to isolate every case. The lockdown is now on its twentieth day, and there are no signs of any relaxation so far.
China is known for suppressing any voice being raised against the communist administration by its people. Technologically advanced dragon is now using tech toys to keep a check on its citizens. Several videos have emerged on social media platforms that show drones and robotic dogs being used for announcements and directing citizens to stay inside.
Alice Su, Senior China correspondent for The Economist, shared a video on her Twitter account. In the video, a drone could be seen making an announcement directing people not to open windows and sing. Su wrote, “Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing & protest lack of supplies. A drone appears: ‘Please comply w covid restrictions. Control your soul’s desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing’.”
As seen on Weibo: Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing & protest lack of supplies. A drone appears: “Please comply w covid restrictions. Control your soul’s desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.” https://t.co/0ZTc8fznaV pic.twitter.com/pAnEGOlBIh
— Alice Su (@aliceysu) April 6, 2022
Su added the source of the video linked to a Chinese social media platform Weibo account. The user had posted the video with text that roughly translated to “Don’t sing collectively on the balcony. Residents of Songjiang Jiuting Homeland sang a few times. Directly, the drone came and said please control the soul’s desire for freedom.” (Chinese translated using Google Translate).
In another video shared by Eric Frigi-Ding, co-founder of The World Health Network. In the video, a robot dog with a megaphone tapped on its back was roaming the streets of Shanghai. Eric wrote that health announcements were being made using the megaphone.
Lockdown in Shanghai: dog robots announce that nobody is allowed to leave the house. Drones fly around, come right up to you when they spot you outside and tell you to go back inside.pic.twitter.com/TM7Te6xgwW
— James Jackson (@derJamesJackson) April 1, 2022
Another video of a similar Robot dog was shared by Freelance Journalist James Jackson. He wrote, “Dog robots announce that nobody is allowed to leave the house. Drones fly around, come right up to you when they spot you outside and tell you to go back inside.”
There are 26 million official residents in Shanghai. The city has come to a halt due to Covid restrictions. China which has alleged to have controlled Covid in the initial stages when the pandemic first his, has been struggling with the new variants of the Wuhan virus. The large population of the city is struggling to get food. On March 30, Eric had shared another video where people were seen fighting for groceries.
Local residents in Shanghai seen fighting over groceries as half of its 26 million residents are in lockdown, and other half entering lockdown soon. The narrator cusses & complains there’s nothing even left to fight over (locals are notoriously cutthroat). pic.twitter.com/srJY9vm9pT
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) March 30, 2022
In another video from April 1, truckers who operate the delivery trucks were allegedly sealed into their trucks by police tape. Edric wrote, “No exiting the truck to eat, sleep, or even use the bathroom.” It was done to “ensure” timely deliveries.
Another bizarre and peculiar spectacle from locked down Shanghai 2022… pic.twitter.com/F6MO6VGEkM
— E. Justin, Randomer (@ejustin46) April 1, 2022
A Twitter user E Justin shared a video in which a dog owner used a long leash or rope to put down the dog from the building and pull it back.
Global effects of Shanghai lockdown
Notably, Shanghai is the economic hub of China, the global companies, including Tesla, are facing challenges. Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai is its most productive plant, and it has been shut for over a week.
