Analysis: China’s global hubs get less global as Covid isolation bites

But in recent weeks, they have become synonymous with a much grimmer reality, as authorities in the two international finance hubs struggle to contain raging Omicron outbreaks.Extreme Covid measures have heavily restricted the lives of residents in both cities, with Shanghai now entering the third week of government-mandated home lockdown, and Hong Kong chafing under a third year of quarantine and travel curbs. Once China’s gateways to the West, heavy-handed border closures and suspended air routes have closed the two cities off to much of the world, even as other hubs open up. On Tuesday, Many in Shanghai have complained of being unable to access food, basic supplies and even medical care during emergencies. Reports of health workers forcing elderly residents into quarantine and of workers killing a pet corgi after its owner tested positive fueled Chinese authorities have acknowledged this precarious position, with Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam saying in late March, “I have a very strong feeling that people’s tolerance are fading … that some of our financial institutions are losing patience about this sort of isolated status of Hong Kong, as Hong Kong is an international financial center.”In an effort to boost Hong Kong’s flagging economy, Lam lifted some flight bans and shortened quarantine requirements last month. But it may be too little, too late — especially as Chinese officials and state media ramp up rhetoric praising China’s zero-Covid policy, offering little hope that these international financial centers will open up anytime soon.Gabriele, an Italian resident in Shanghai who asked to be identified by his first name only, tested positive in early April and has since been confined to his apartment for more than three weeks, he said. Describing the situation as a “nightmare,” Gabriele said health workers said they would come to test him again but “never showed up,” and attempts to contact local authorities have gone nowhere. “We feel helpless,” he said.Now, he’s thinking of moving home for good — leaving behind a city he had once loved. “The city completely lost its shine. I don’t know if it will recover,” he said. “It’s like a completely different city … it really feels like we’re going backwards in time instead of looking forward to the future.”Additional reporting by CNN’s Akanksha Sharma and Michelle Toh