Metal Boxes For Quarantine? Videos Show China's Draconian Measures Under Zero-COVID Policy

China is allegedly forcing suspected COVID-19 patients, including pregnant women and children, to live in "quarantine camps" built of rows of metal boxes as part of its Zero-COVID policy ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Several videos have surfaced online showing the conditions inside such "quarantine camps." One video doing the rounds on social media shows metal boxes furnished with a wooden bed and toilet where people who tested positive for the virus were allegedly forced to stay for as long as two weeks, reported New York Post.

The short clip also shows workers in hazmat suits near the metal boxes. However, International Business Times could not independently verify the videos.

Another video showed rows of buses allegedly waiting to transport COVID-19 passengers to quarantine centers in the Chinese port city of Tianjin. The New York report said the "quarantine camp" cells include a bare-framed bed and a small, dirty-looking bathroom. In one clip, workers in hazmat suits were seen leaving food trays on shelves outside the units.

"There is nothing here, just basic necessities... Nobody has come to check up on us, what kind of quarantine is this? They did a big transfer of us, more than a thousand people, in the night and many of us are elderly people and children. They didn't make any proper arrangements and so they just carelessly placed us [here]," read a comment posted allegedly by an affected person on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

Another clip going viral on Chinese social media shows a kid reportedly locked alone without parents peering through a window.

These shocking visuals come amid reports of growing anger among residents at the draconian rules implemented by the state to curb the spread ahead of the Winter Games, which will begin next month.

There is "growing public frustration and anger" at officials "doggedly going after every virus case no matter the emotional or economic costs," Asian News International reported.

A video that surfaced online recently showed a man being beaten up by two pandemic control officers for going out to buy steamed buns. The government has enforced strict lockdowns in three Chinese cities – Xi'an, Yuzhou and Anyang. The residents are banned from going out and only shops that sell necessities can remain open.

But, food shortage is acute in many cities, including Xi'an. The ANI report, quoting local media outlets, said the hashtag "hard to obtain food in Xi'an" was trending on Weibo. Due to the increasing prices, people are forced to barter for a bag of rice, the report added.