Shanghai sprung back to life today after two months of bitter isolation and an extremely strict Covid lockdown. The streets filled back up today, and the subway and shops reopened.
It comes as a range of Covid restrictions were eased in a step back towards normalcy after two months of confining Shanghai’s residents to their homes.
The megacity saw 25 million closed down in sections from late March when the highly transmissible Omicron variant fueled the worst outbreak in China since Covid first broke out in Wuhan in 2020. For many of the 25 million residents, street life looked like a flash from the past.
Finally able to experience the outside world again, residents of Shanghai are wary that Covid curbs may soon return.
There was joy and relief, combined with wariness and frustration. People fear another potential outbreak could be around the corner, sending them back inside, with no end date to lockdowns in sight once again.
Chinese authorities have threatened action against anyone who criticizes its Covid policy, which they say aims to avoid the death of millions.
Shanghai’s government released a “thank you” letter to residents, with special mentions going to medical staff, police, the army, journalists, and “grass-roots.” Some are demanding a letter of apology, saying that those who wield power and are able to arbitrarily inflict harm on others need to be held accountable.
China has persisted with an intense zero-Covid strategy, which involves sweeping rapid lockdowns, mass testing, and long painful quarantines in order to completely eliminate Covid.
There has been a huge economic cost to the policy. The government has said that accelerating economic and social recovery is becoming “increasingly urgent.”
Many have taken to online to say that they should have been free to begin with, so the government should not expect them to be grateful.
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