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.
Rent subsidies and consumer vouchers had been among the measures local authorities rolled out to support business at that time, but there are few such signs this year. The only queue within several hundred metres was outside a pharmacy, where people waited to stock up on medicines to treat the symptoms of COVID.
"We have to see what happens next year ... ," added the 48-year-old, surnamed Liang. "We have to see what the footfall will be like. If things are still the same next year, vendors will have to leave."The scarcity of customers is having a knock-on effect on other industries, further hurting growth as China grapples with an economic downturn this year.
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