‘Go Home’: Covid-Hit Shanghai, Beijing Tell Residents to Avoid Social Contacts

“We must insist on regulating the flow and control of the movement of people,” the Shanghai municipal government said in response to Reuters questions on the latest curbs.

A “one-size-fits-all” approach should be avoided and each district was allowed to tighten measures according to its own situation, it said.

On Monday, Shanghai reported a drop in new cases for the 10th straight day.

SUDDEN LOCKDOWN

In Beijing, residents of its worst-hit areas were told to work from home while more roads, compounds and parks were sealed off on Monday as the city of 22 million grappled with its worst outbreak since 2020.

More bus routes were suspended as more rounds of testing were conducted in a handful of districts, including Chaoyang and Fangshan, both of which were described by municipal authorities as the “priority of priorities” in the city’s counter-epidemic work.

Beijing reported on Monday 49 new locally transmitted cases for May 8, taking its tally of infections since April 22 to more than 760.

Beijing has been hoping to avoid the weeks of lockdowns that Shanghai has endured but the growing number of residential buildings under lockdown orders is unnerving residents.

“I just rented an apartment in this compound, and I didn’t receive any notice,” said a 28-year-old resident of Changping district in north Beijing surnamed Wang after being barred from leaving her compound on Monday.

“I’ve already been working from home but I’m worried I might run out of daily supplies.”

Residents received a notice later on Monday morning that positive cases had been detected in the area.

A nanny living in the same compound said the lockdown meant she was not able to get to a new job.

“Today is the first day of the job and now I can’t go out,” said the 40-year-old, who gave her name as Meizi.