Shanghai achieved on Tuesday the long-awaited milestone of three consecutive days with no new COVID-19 cases outside quarantine zones but most residents will have to put up with confinement for a while longer before resuming more normal life.
For other cities in China that have been under lockdown, athird day with no new cases in the community usually means “zero COVID” status and the beginning of the lifting of restrictions.
The commercial hub of 25 million set out on Monday itsclearest timetable yet for exiting a lockdown now in its seventh week, but the plan was met with skepticism by many residents who have seen isolation extended time and again.
Shanghai plans to resume outdoor activities in stages, withsome convenience stores and pharmacies reopening this week, but with most restrictions on movement remaining in place until May 21, after which public transport and other services will resumegradually.
By June, the lockdown should be lifted, but residents willstill be asked to get tested frequently.
More people were allowed out of their homes this week, withsome joggers and dog walkers spotted. One man was seen fishing in the Shanghai river.
But tall fences remained around many residential compoundsand there were almost no private cars on the streets with most people still confined to their homes.
It was not clear how many shops re-opened this week but inone positive sign, delivery apps showed more options for peopleto order from Tuesday.
A social media account ran by the Communist Party’s officialPeople’s Daily newspaper posted photographs on Monday evening that it said it showed breakfast joints, restaurants andhairdressers opening up.
But one social media user described the post as “nonsense”.
“We have been locked in at home for two months … Thisstory is meant for anyone else other than people in Shanghai.”
By Tuesday morning, the post had been deleted.
A video posted by another state-backed media outletannounced the reopening of an Alibaba Freshippo grocery store, showing about 10 members of staff in hazmat suits making heartshapes with their hands, but only two people who looked likeshoppers.
A sign on the shop’s door said customers had to show anegative COVID test and a pass showing they are allowed out of home, among other requirements. Only 20 customers are allowedinto the store at a time.
In all, Shanghai reported fewer than 1,000 new cases for May16, all inside areas under the strictest controls. In relativelyfreer areas, the ones monitored to gauge progress in eradicatingthe outbreak, no new cases were found for a third day.
‘PERSISTENT DRAG’
Beijing’s latest daily caseload was 52, with authoritiesdiscovering a few dozen new infections on an almost daily basisdespite gradually tightening restrictions over the past threeweeks or so.
Dine-in services are banned in the capital, some malls andother businesses are shut, public transport curtailed and manyresidents have been advised to work from home.
Residents in some COVID-affected parts of Beijing’s Fengtaidistrict were ordered not to leave their neighbourhoods, statetelevision reported on Tuesday.
In Beijing’s largest district, Chaoyang, some compounds haveclosed side exits while main gates are manned by volunteerschecking health credentials on the mobile app authorities use totrack COVID.
Security personnel patrolled the banks of the nearby Liangmacanal, which has become a picnic spot in recent weeks forresidents not allowed to go elsewhere. Signs had been put upasking people to “avoid crowds, gatherings and eating together”.
Data this week showed the havoc wreaked on the economy bythe lockdown in Shanghai and the curbs in dozens of other majorcities, with retail sales and industrial output plunging attheir fastest pace in more than two years in April.
China’s uncompromising “zero COVID” policy has placedhundreds of millions of consumers and workers under variousrestrictions at a time when the rest of the world is liftingthem to “live with the virus” even as infections spread.
But the difficulty of eliminating new outbreaks, as shown byBeijing’s struggles, raises concern over the sustainability ofany return to normal life in Shanghai and elsewhere oncerestrictions are lifted.
China’s unswerving commitment to the zero-COVID policy, nomatter the economic costs, means questions over the outlook willlinger.
“The pace of recovery is likely to depend on the speed ofnormalisation in Shanghai and Beijing and how fast confidencewill return to the private sector,” Societe Generale strategistssaid in a note.
“On both points, the zero-COVID strategy could be apersistent drag.”
