The city eased many restrictions last week after cutting off more than 25 million people from their homes since March as China battled Covid’s worst outbreak in two years. But the lockdown was never completely lifted, with hundreds of thousands in China’s largest city still confined to their homes and multiple homes under new house arrest warrants. The southwestern Minhang district, home to 2.7 million people, will be under “closed management” on Saturday morning and all residents will be tested, local authorities said in a social media post on Thursday. “The closure will be lifted after the samples are collected,” they added, without giving a specific time or date. The statement also did not say what measures would be taken if a local resident tested positive. According to China’s strict approach to zero Covid, all positive cases are isolated and close contacts – often including the entire building or community – are quarantined. Shanghai reported nine new local infections on Thursday – none in Minhang. The district’s announcement sparked fears among some social media users that the lockdown could be extended beyond Saturday if cases were detected. “You have to clarify if [the lockdown] “It will really lift after the samples are collected,” one Weibo user wrote. “If there are abnormal results after the exams, what will you do? Should the lockdown continue? ” asked another. The lockdown in Shanghai – a major global shipping hub – had threatened to put further pressure on the already tense international supply chains. But the city has slowly revived in recent days. Passengers cross the Huangpu River by ferry to Shanghai on June 7 after restrictions on Covid were eased. Photo: Héctor Retamal / AFP / Getty Images Travelers return to subways and buses as people return to work in their offices, while residents have gathered in parks and along the city’s historic waterfront. But others are struggling with ongoing restrictions, with residents in a downtown Xuhui district protesting against the rules this week. China’s capital, Beijing, meanwhile, is returning to normalcy following the closure of restaurants, gyms and subway stations last month to stave off a smaller outbreak.
