Some residents of Shanghai stepped out of their homes for the first time in more than two weeks today, as the city took tentative steps towards easing a Covid-19 lockdown amid mounting worries over the economic impact of the strict curbs.
With a quarter of the population now in some form of lockdown, China's leadership is increasingly concerned about the long-term economic impact of its "zero-Covid" strategy, but it remains reluctant to risk larger waves of infection.
Shanghai said yesterday that more than 7,000 residential units had been classified as lower-risk areas after reporting no new infections for 14 days, and its districts have since been announcing which specific compounds can be opened up.
But while some people were allowed out of their residences this morning, there was still confusion about the extent to which those living in lower-risk zones were free to move, with many still awaiting permission from their residential committees.