China’s zero Covid policy is wreaking fresh havoc with its economy and daily life. Chengdu, a Southwestern metropolis of 21 million, has been largely locked down the past two weeks, in reaction to 1,800 reported infections. That’s just the biggest of 70 cities enduring some form of restriction lately. Xi Jinping’s government shows no sign of changing course. “Senior health officials continue parroting what Xi said a few months ago,” says Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. “They don’t see any reason for shifting away.”
