Shanghai’s full Covid lockdown ends after two months

theguardian.com:

Shanghai has lifted a painful two-month lockdown, to the relief of the city’s 25 million residents, with authorities dismantling fences around housing compounds and ripping police tape off public squares and buildings.

Most residents have spent the past two months under a ruthlessly enforced lockdown that has caused income losses, stress and despair to millions struggling to access food or get emergency healthcare.

The prolonged isolation has fuelled public anger and rare protests inside Shanghai and battered the city’s manufacturing and export-heavy economy, disrupting supply chains in China and around the world, and slowing international trade.

Life is set to return to something more like normal from Wednesday, when the passes issued by residential buildings for people to go out for a few hours will be scrapped, public transport will resume and residents can go back to work.

“Now that I’m going back to work so suddenly, I feel a little nervous,” said one resident, Joseph Mak, who works in education. “It’s hard to believe it’s actually happening.”

The easing of curbs applies only to those in low-risk areas, or about 22.5 million people. Residents in those areas will still have to wear masks and are discouraged from gathering. Dining inside restaurants remains banned. Shops can operate at 75% capacity. Gyms will reopen later.

Residents will have to get Covid tests every 72 hours to take public transport and enter public venues. Tough quarantine is still in store for anyone testing positive and their close contacts.

China is alone among major countries enforcing an uncompromising “zero Covid” policy that aims to eradicate all outbreaks as soon as they occur at just about any cost. It remains to be seen if frequent testing can