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Infections are delivering a fresh kick in the teeth for many small businesses in China’s central city of Wuhan, despite the easing of most stringent curbs last week.
With the sick and those fearing infection keeping to their homes, hopes of brighter prospects after the end of lockdowns are evaporating, at least for now, with the government showing few signs of stepping in to help.
“I simply can’t go on,” said Zhu Chongping, 60, as he looked around his empty restaurant, which dishes up regional cuisine in the city of 11 million where the COVID-19 pandemic began three years ago.
“I’m losing money every day, a thousand yuan a day.”
The challenge for small businessmen like Zhu spotlights how Beijing’s shift away from tough COVID policies, with the promise of driving an economic recovery next year, is likely instead to depress growth over the next few months as infections surge.
Business on what would normally be a buzzing food street, where most restaurants were shut or empty last Saturday, is the worst it has been since Zhu first opened his doors to customers 30 years ago, he added, looking forlorn.
The outlook after “zero-COVID” eased, following unprecedented protests, is even bleaker than during the city’s 76-day lockdown in 2020, he said, because this year his landlord is not offering a discount on his rent.
