An elderly Shanghai resident has been mistakenly pronounced dead and taken to the morgue in a body bag, in the latest sign of dysfunction in the coronavirus-hit city where millions remain under government-imposed lockdown.
A video clip, filmed by a bystander, shows the moment several workers dressed in head-to-toe protective gear realize the man is still alive. The images have since spread across Chinese social media, sparking terror and anger.
The video, posted on Sunday, shows the head of the man – a resident of a nursing home – sticking out of the yellow body bag as workers lift him from the car.
The person filming the video can be heard, apparently from a nearby building, saying, “The nursing home is a mess. They sent a surviving person on a loader and said she was dead. Undertaker’s staff said they’re still moving… It’s not responsible, really irresponsible. »
On China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform, many expressed disbelief that such a serious mistake could have happened – especially in Shanghai, which has long been considered China. The most advanced and modern city.
A popular comment on Weibo reads: “The problems in Shanghai are on full display this time. »
Another user wrote, “This is premeditated murder. »
Many others said the man would have been buried or cremated had he not been found alive. “The government doesn’t care… what’s going on in Shanghai? » Read a comment.
The county government responded to the incident on Monday, saying in a statement that the elderly man is now in stable condition.
She added that three officials from the Civil Affairs Bureau and the Social Development Bureau in the region were fired, and the head of the retirement home was also fired.
Authorities also quashed the testimony of a doctor involved, which is currently under investigation, according to the state-run Global Times newspaper.
The financial center was fighting an epidemic case of covid-19 Since early March, it has now been locked down across the city since March 31. and became the center of China’s wider epidemicWith the increasing number of cases and the containment measures introduced in many cities.
For weeks, the lockdown has prevented nearly 25 million people from leaving their homes or compounds, leading to logistical chaos, with many complaining of being unable to access essentials such as food, water , healthcare products, and even medical care for non-COVID emergencies. .
Authorities last week said some neighborhoods could start easing lockdown measures if they hadn’t reported cases in the past two weeks, allowing some neighborhoods some freedom in their area.
As of Tuesday, more than 8.2 million Shanghai residents were still banned from leaving their apartment complexes.
Meanwhile, cases are also rising in the nation’s capital, Beijing, where schools and other public places such as libraries and shopping malls have been closed. On Monday, authorities announced that more than 20 million residents will undergo three more rounds of mass testing this week, in addition to several rounds carried out last week.
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