A man in a mask stands on a bridge over a highway in Beijing on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Parts of Beijing on Thursday stopped daily mass testing that has been going on for the past few weeks, but many test sites remained busy due to a negative test requirement at COVID for the past 48 hours to enter some buildings in the Chinese capital. Credit: AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
The closed Chinese metropolis of Shanghai will reopen four of 20 subway lines on Sunday as it slowly eases the pandemic constraints that hold most residents in their residential complexes for more than six weeks.
The city will also restart 273 bus lines connecting major city centers, airports, stations and hospitals as it resumes inter-district public transportation, said Yu Fulin, director of the Shanghai Transport Commission, at a daily briefing on the pandemic on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear how often there would be maintenance. This week in three remote areas resumed bus service on a trial basis, with buses running every 30-90 minutes during daylight hours.
The blockade of China’s largest city has dealt a blow to the economy and disappointed residents, especially as many countries around the world are moving away from such harsh measures in an attempt to live with the virus. But officials are adhering to a “zero COVID” approach, saying lifting restrictions could strain the health care system and lead to more deaths, especially among under-vaccinated seniors.
According to official statistics, the outbreak in Shanghai claimed 580 lives, making it the deadliest since the initial outbreak in Wuhan in early 2020.
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On Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Beijing, a woman helps a child cross a barrier near a mass testing site at COVID. Credit: AP Photo / Ng Han Guan
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A masked worker disinfects a canal on Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo / Ng Han Guan
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A masked worker disinfects a canal on Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo / Ng Han Guan
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Residents in masks are seen on the street on Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo / Ng Han Guan
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On Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Beijing, a child looks at a masked volunteer patrolling a green area barricaded with fences and ribbons to prevent a gathering of residents due to pandemic measures. Credit: AP Photo / Andy Wong
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A worker in a protective suit conducts a COVID-19 test at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing on Thursday, May 19, 2022. A section of Beijing on Thursday stopped daily mass testing that has been going on for the past few weeks, but many testing sites were occupied due to negative test requirements on COVID for the last 48 hours to enter some buildings in the Chinese capital. Credit: AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
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Masked men walk down a street in Beijing on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Parts of Beijing on Thursday stopped daily mass testing that has been going on for the past few weeks, but many testing sites remained busy due to negative COVID requirements for the past 48 hours have been tested to enter some buildings in the Chinese capital. Credit: AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
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Workers in protective suits handle a bag of waste at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Parts of Beijing on Thursday stopped daily mass testing over the past few weeks, but many testing sites remained busy due to negative COVID test requirements for the last 48 hours to enter some buildings in the Chinese capital. Credit: AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
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A worker in a protective suit conducts a COVID-19 test at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing on Thursday, May 19, 2022. A section of Beijing on Thursday stopped daily mass testing that has been going on for the past few weeks, but many testing sites were occupied due to negative test requirements on COVID for the last 48 hours to enter some buildings in the Chinese capital. Credit: AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
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A worker in a protective suit registers people for COVID-19 tests at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing on Thursday, May 19, 2022. A section of Beijing on Thursday stopped daily mass testing over the past few weeks, but many testing sites remained busy due to negative test requirements on COVID for the last 48 hours to enter some buildings in the Chinese capital. Credit: AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
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People stand in line for COVID-19 tests at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing, Thursday, May 19, 2022. Parts of Beijing on Thursday stopped daily mass testing that has been going on for the past few weeks, but many test sites remained busy with -requires a negative COVID test in the last 48 hours to enter some buildings in the Chinese capital. Credit: AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
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People stand in line for COVID-19 tests at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing, Thursday, May 19, 2022. Parts of Beijing on Thursday stopped daily mass testing that has been going on for the past few weeks, but many test sites remained busy with -requires a negative COVID test in the last 48 hours to enter some buildings in the Chinese capital. Credit: AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
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A woman in a mask lies on a bench in a green area barricaded with fences and ribbons to prevent residents from gathering due to pandemic measures on Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo / Andy Wong
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On Thursday, May 19, 2022, a resident of Beijing is resting after training near the green zone, barricaded to prevent the gathering of residents due to pandemic measures. Credit: AP Photo / Andy Wong
Although the number of new cases is declining sharply, the authorities are easing restrictions slowly and intentionally how they are trying to ensure that the virus no longer spreads anywhere outside quarantine facilities and areas with known infections.
The city of 25 million people reported about 700 new cases on Wednesday, the majority of about 1,000 cases nationwide.
Beijing authorities, who reported 55 new cases, closed some subway stations and bus lines, banned eating in restaurants and urged residents to work from home, trying to prevent an outbreak of the Shanghai epidemic in the Chinese capital.
Elsewhere in China, the city of Guang Yuan in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan was closed on Wednesday. About 150 new cases have been reported in the province.
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Citation: Shanghai will reopen subway to ease COVID restrictions (2022, May 19) received May 19, 2022 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-05-shanghai-reopen-subways-easing-covid.html
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