China takes down viral video showing impact of prolonged COVID-19 lockdown on Shanghai's residents

China on Saturday (April 23) took down a viral video that showed the impact of a prolonged COVID-19 lockdown on Shanghai's residents.

The viral video, titled "The Voice of April," showed the plight and the dire situation of residents after it was shared on Weibo and WeChat.

The six-minute video begins with Shanghai's authorities denying that a lockdown will be imposed on the city.

In the video, a stressed Chinese citizen can be heard saying, "We have gone to the hospital twice, but no one is there to treat us."

Another can be heard yelling "Thank you, Big Whites" while a woman complains she was not allowed to enter her house after she returned from chemotherapy.

The strict censorship online has triggered an online backlash by the residents of China's major financial hub as they have been confined to their homes for a long period of time.

Shanghai, where a lockdown was imposed at the beginning of April, reported more coronavirus-related deaths on Friday.

A Weibo user commented, "The video was just presenting raw facts. There is nothing provocative!"

Another wrote, "Its content is nothing new... But the fact of seeing that even that is censored, it bothers me."

''I can only say that if you don't even want to listen to just a small amount of real voices, then it is really hopeless,'' said a user on WeChat.

In response to the mounting criticism, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said, "The more critical the period becomes, the more we need to grit our teeth and focus our strength."

Authorities in Shanghai, which has a population of 25 million, are trying to curb the worst outbreak since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

They have failed to provide basic necessities such as regular medical care and fresh vegetables among other essentials to those in lockdown.

(With inputs from agencies)