"There were only two things on my mind, to find food and to not go crazy.” For millions of residents in China, the mandatory lockdown in mid-2022 still lingers like a recurring nightmare. In this episode, CNA correspondent Wei Du traces the steps of people whose lives were upended by China’s zero-COVID policy and who are still grappling with the sudden end of it.

05:40 – Inside the hospitals during the outbreak
08:08 – Life as a COVID-19 swabber
17:47 – Lockdown enforcer

Written and produced by: Wei Du
Co-producer: Andersen Xia
Editors: Crispina Robert and Tiffany Ang
Social Media Editor: Joanne Chan
Sound Designer: Sai Ye Wint

"There were only two things on my mind, to find food and to not go crazy.” For millions of residents in China, the mandatory lockdown in mid-2022 still lingers like a recurring nightmare. In this episode, CNA correspondent Wei Du traces the steps of people whose lives were upended by China’s zero-COVID policy and who are still grappling with the sudden end of it.
05:40 – Inside the hospitals during the outbreak 08:08 – Life as a COVID-19 swabber 17:47 – Lockdown enforcer Written and produced by: Wei Du Co-producer: Andersen Xia Editors: Crispina Robert and Tiffany Ang Social Media Editor: Joanne Chan Sound Designer: Sai Ye Wint

As the rest of the world opened doors in mid-2022 and moved on from the COVID-19 pandemic, 300 million Chinese people remained in mandatory lockdown under China’s strict zero-COVID policy. At the height of the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak, food became scarce, medicine was hard to come by and survival became a daily struggle.

Fuelled by anger and anxiety, people took to the streets in a rare show of protest, demanding an end to the lockdown. Within days, the Chinese government responded in an extraordinary policy u-turn. But for many, the sudden freedom could not erase the painful memories of being trapped.

Hear the emotional stories of those who still carry the scars in this 2-part CNA special.

As the rest of the world opened doors in mid-2022 and moved on from the COVID-19 pandemic, 300 million Chinese people remained in mandatory lockdown under China’s strict zero-COVID policy. At the height of the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak, food became scarce, medicine was hard to come by and survival became a daily struggle.
Fuelled by anger and anxiety, people took to the streets in a rare show of protest, demanding an end to the lockdown. Within days, the Chinese government responded in an extraordinary policy u-turn. But for many, the sudden freedom could not erase the painful memories of being trapped.
Hear the emotional stories of those who still carry the scars in this 2-part CNA special.

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