Shanghai partially resumes public transport after 2 months of coronavirus confinement

The Chinese city of Shanghai partially resumed public transport on Sunday, signaling a gradual reopening after two months cut off from the world by the coronavirus covid-19.

The largest city in China it has been on almost complete lockdown since April, when it became the epicenter of the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak since the start of the pandemic.

China has stuck to its zero covid policy to eradicate infections with targeted closures and massive tests when an infectious focus occurs, which has become difficult with the appearance of the omicron variant, which is easily spread.

With the drop in infections, Shanghai has cautiously eased restrictionswith some factories that resumed operations and the authorization for residents in low-risk areas to go out on the streets.

Four of the city’s 20 subway lines returned to service on Sunday along with some road transport, authorities announced this week.

To use public transport you must show a negative covid-19 test taken at least 48 hours beforeand have “normal temperature”.

But the central district of Jing’an went back into lockdown on Sunday and will face three consecutive rounds of mass testing, while its residents will not be allowed to leave their homes.

Shanghai, with a population of 25 million, reported more than 600 cases of covid-19 on Sunday, 570 of them asymptomatic, according to the National Health Commission.

But restrictions continue in other Chinese cities with Covid cases, including the capital Beijing, which has banned eating out and forced millions to work from home.

Many in the capital fear the city will go into a drastic lockdown like Shanghai, where the lockdown left many without adequate access to food and medical care.