Since the initial lockdown in Shanghai began nearly six weeks ago, there has been an abundance of horror stories ranging from elderly patients dying in the city's nursing homes (without being officially declared COVID casualties) to COVID workers suspected of murdering the city's pets (or at the very least those suspected of having been exposed to COVID).
But the latest controversy has been inspired by footage apparently showing a senior citizen being mistaken for dead by staff at an 'aged care center' in Shanghai.
Readers can watch the video below:
The Putuo district government confirmed the mistake on Monday morning and announced an investigation, which has already swept up six people.
The incident was officially reported Sunday afternoon, sparking an online controversy when videos circulating widely on Chinese social media showed two men who appeared to be mortuary workers handling a yellow body bag outside the Shanghai Xinchangzheng welfare hospital.
In the video, the staff members can be seen moving the body, then returning to deliberate with two people in white hazmat suits after realizing that the patient is still alive.
According to the SCMP, the incident triggered a horrified response from many Shanghai residents, whose grief and anger have reached a new peak. What's more, the local government is facing mounting criticism for its handling of the Omicron outbreak.
Punishments are being handed down, but it's not clear whether this will be enough to satiate the public backlash. Four officials, including a director of the care home and a doctor, had been either sacked or reprimanded. Ge Fang, director of the Shanghai Xinchangzheng Welfare Hospital, has been fired, while a doctor in charge was barred from practicing medicine and will face further police investigation.
