During the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese cities have repeatedly imposed lockdowns following their central government’s stubborn pursuit of zero-Covid. But lockdowns weren’t limited to authoritarian regimes such as China. Many democracies also imposed some form of lockdowns to curb the virus transmission.

How effective were they? Was it worth it? And who was the most adversely affected?

These are meaningful questions to reflect on, especially as drastic Covid-19 measures have been lifted as the severity of the virus’s impact has waned.

We’ve been studying the disparate responses to Covid-19 undertaken by three major cities: Johannesburg, Toronto and Chicago.

We examined the nature and impact of public health measures on various populations in these cities. We found ‘lockdown’ to be an imprecise description for the range of restrictions put in place. Lockdown meant different things in different places, but regardless of the context, they disproportionately afflicted those who are and the disadvantaged.

Johannesburg: traumatic impact

South Africa’s hard lockdown in 2020 — lasting from March 27 to April 30 — was modelled on Wuhan’s. Strictly enforced by the announcement of a National State of Disaster, which gave government extraordinary powers, it banned all outdoor activities except for essential services. It was a blunt instrument applied uniformly across the country, although patterns of infection varied widely by region and locality.

The lockdown had a devastating impact on the economy, people’s livelihoods and food security. On May 1, 2020, South Africa introduced a five-level risk-adjusted strategy. The response remained national in scope, with the National Coronavirus Command Council issuing directives to the provincial governments, which manage health care, and local governments, which provide services in distressed communities.