Shanghai Eases Covid-19 Restrictions In Steps Towards Ending Lockdown

Shanghai lifts Covid-19 restrictions after a two months lockdown.

The commercial hub of 25 million people were shut down in sections from late March, when the Omicron virus variant fuelled China’s worst outbreak in two years.

After some rules were gradually relaxed over the past few weeks, authorities on Wednesday began allowing residents in areas deemed low-risk to move around the city freely.

“It feels like we’ve all been through a lot of trauma, a collective trauma,” Grace Guan told AFP.

The 35-year-old Shanghai resident disclosed that she went out at midnight when the restrictions eased and saw groups gathered in the street drinking beers, some sitting together on blankets laid out on the pavements.

On Wednesday morning, commuters trickled into subway stations and office buildings, scanning QR codes that certify they are virus-free.

Some gathered in small groups to chat in a park, while staff at shopping centres and markets arranged products and cleaned in apparent preparation for customers.

A day earlier, bright yellow barriers that had hemmed in buildings and city blocks for weeks were taken down in many areas.

Deputy Mayor Zong Ming told reporters Tuesday that the easing will impact about 22 million people in the city.

Malls, convenience stores, pharmacies and beauty salons will be allowed to operate at 75 percent capacity, while parks and other scenic spots will gradually reopen, she added.