- Shanghai has been in strict lockdown since late March amid a massive coronavirus surge.
- The city has experienced food and medical care issues, as well as frustrated citizens.
- A Friday video on Twitter appeared to show Shanghai residents screaming from apartment building windows.
Amid a surging COVID-19 wave, a strict lockdown that began in late March, and food shortages, Shanghai residents are taking to their windows to express their emotions.
Patrick Madrid, a Catholic TV radio host, posted a video last Friday that appears to show residents screaming from an apartment building at night.
You can hear the noise of what sounds like many people screaming and a person narrating above it.
—Patrick Madrid ✌🏼 (@patrickmadrid) April 9, 2022
Insider was not able to verify the video but reported previously that the person narrating the video said that “everyone is screaming now,” and that people in the buildings did not understand and had not been told why they were stuck in lockdown.
“Something bad’s going to happen if this keeps going,” the narrator continued.
He was speaking in a Shanghai accent, Insider noted.
Madrid said Monday on “The Patrick Madrid Show” that a “close friend,” whose wife’s uncle lives in Shanghai, sent him the video.
“It sounds like someone opened one of the doors to hell,” he said. “Pray for these people.”
Madrid said the tweet has gotten 5.3 million views.
Official Shanghai-area media outlets disputed the video and added that the area had an organized a singalong that was canceled, driving residents to scream.
The video has been removed from Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, as has much content relating to dissent about ongoing lockdowns in Shanghai, a city with 25 million residents, or China’s “zero tolerance” virus policy in general.
Dogs and drones have been seen recently in videos online telling Shanghai residents to wear masks or even not to sing.
“Control your soul’s desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing. This increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission,” a drone told residents in a robotic voice while flying over buildings.
There have also been food and medical care shortages, CNN reported. With the country’s policy that requires those who test positive to stay in isolation centers or hospitals, about 25,000 reported cases Sunday, per Reuters, and folks running out of food, the city appears overwhelmed.
Shanghai’s lockdown was originally supposed to last eight days. But amid the case surge, it was extended and later lessened Monday, Reuters reported.
Translations by Cheryl Teh
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