Shanghai makes way towards COVID-19 lockdown exit, Beijing plays defence

22/5/2022 7:18

        Shanghai cautiously pushed ahead on Saturday with plans to restore part of its transport network in a major step towards exiting a weeks-long COVID-19 lockdown, while Beijing kept up its defences in an outbreak that has persisted for a month.
        
        Shanghai's lockdown since the beginning of April has dealt a heavy economic blow to China's most populous city, stirred debate over the sustainability of the nation's zero-COVID policy and stoked fears of future lockdowns and disruptions.
        
        Unlike the financial hub, Beijing has refrained from imposing a city-wide lockdown, reporting dozens of new cases a day, versus tens of thousands in Shanghai at its peak. Still, the curbs and endless mass testing imposed on China's capital have unsettled its economy and upended the lives of its people.
        
        As Beijing remained in COVID-19 angst, workers in Shanghai were disinfecting subway stations and trains before the planned restoration of four metro lines on Sunday.