China drafts in the military as Shanghai ordered to test 25 million residents for Covid

When it comes to China's signature zero-Covid health policy, the country's leaders have made it clear: Shanghai is too big to fail. The city, which is grappling with a record number of daily Covid cases, has become the biggest -- and potentially costliest -- example of China's insistence on adhering to its strict elimination strategy.

On Sunday, the ruling Communist Party announced the deployment of thousands of military personnel to the locked-down financial hub to assist in the mandatory screening of all 25 million inhabitants. The plan, which will see every resident take a nucleic acid test starting Monday morning, comes as Shanghai reported a city record of more than 9,000 cases on Sunday.

Though the case numbers are small by international standards, the fast-spreading outbreak has placed Shanghai on the front lines of China's uncompromising battle with the virus, as the government doubles down on testing, mandatory lockdowns, and controversial isolation policies that have seen young children separated from their parents if they test positive.

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