Shanghai imposes staggered lockdown amid COVID resurgence

A full lockdown will be imposed on Shanghai's Pudong and Puxi in turn for a new round of citywide nucleic acid testing from Monday morning, the city government announced on Sunday night.

From 5am on Monday, a lockdown will first be imposed on Pudong, Punan and adjacent areas (including the Pudong New Area, Fengxian, Jinshan and Chongming districts as well as Pujin Subdistrict and Pujiang Town in Minhang District and Xinbang, Shihudang, Maogang and Yexie towns in suburban Songjiang District) to carry out nucleic acid testing. The lockdown here will be lifted at 5am on April 1.

In Puxi, the quarantine measures for the key subdistricts and towns will continue. Other areas in Puxi will be put under lockdown from 3am on April 1 through 3am on April 5 for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

"The measure aims to curb the spread of COVID-19, protect people's life safety and health as well as achieve the dynamic zero-COVID-19 target at the social level as soon as possible," the city's coronavirus prevention work leaders' office announced.

The new round of "block and grid" COVID-19 screening is decided after evaluating the situation of the previous rounds of grid screenings and experts' analysis, the office revealed.

During the lockdown, all residential communities will be closed. All residents are required to stay at home. People and vehicles will only be allowed to enter but not exit the neighborhoods.

Meal delivery and courier services will remain operating with non-contact delivery to ensure basic life necessities. Delivery staff won't be allowed to enter communities.

During the lockdown, workers of government bodies and public institutions are asked to work from home, apart from those who must take part in anti-COVID-19 tasks or ensure the basic operation of the city.

They are also required to report to their neighborhood and village committees to become community volunteers to take part in the anti-COVID-19 work.

Medical staff, anti-COVID-19 personnel, police officers and deliverymen can exit their communities with work certificates or certificates from their companies.

All local companies within the lockdown areas must conduct closed-door operations or allow staff to work from home. Public service companies, such as those dealing with water, electricity, fuel, gas, communication, transportation, meat and vegetable supplies, however, will continue to operate.

Public transport, including buses, subways, ferries, taxis and online-hailing cars, will also be completely suspended during the lockdown. Only special vehicles, such as those for pandemic prevention or ambulances, will be allowed on local roads in locked-down areas.

Sufficient supplies of food and necessities must be ensured along with stable prices during the lockdown, the office observed. Green channels will be opened for those with medical requirements, especially pregnant women or those who need hemodialysis, radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Residents are asked to follow the orders of their subdistricts, towns or companies in receiving PCR tests over staggered periods. Those failing to take the test will see their health code turn yellow, restricting them from entering many sites and depriving them of a number of local services. Those who refuse or interfere with the anti-COVID-19 measures shall bear all legal responsibility.

The COVID-19 prevention measures will be adjusted according to the evolving pandemic situation, the office noted.