After more than six weeks of lockdown, the Chinese financial metropolis of Shanghai is gearing up for the end of stringent crown requirements. Public life is expected to restart gradually and the return to normalcy is expected to begin on June 1, Vice Mayor Zong Ming announced on Monday. However, the announcement was met with skepticism by some Shanghai residents.
“From June 1 to mid/late June, we will fully implement epidemic prevention and control, normalize administration and fully restore normal production and life in the city,” she said, adding a caveat – “as long as the risks of a further increase in infections are controlled,” said the deputy mayor. However, the announcement was met with skepticism by some Shanghai residents, as several relaxations had already been promised, which did not materialise. “Shanghai, Shanghai… do you still want me to believe you?” wrote one resident on the social media platform Weibo.
economic damage
The announced easing also comes amid massive economic damage from the lockdowns in Shanghai and elsewhere. Nationwide, home sales in April fell at their sharpest rate in 16 years as manufacturing slowed production, retail sales slowed and investment growth was weaker than expected. At the same time, the unemployment rate in the People’s Republic has soared to its highest level in more than two years. “The pandemic has had a relatively large impact on economic activity,” said statistics office spokesman Fu Linghui in Beijing. Some economists even expect the world’s second-largest economy after the US to shrink in the current second quarter.
No cars were sold in April in Shanghai, China’s most populous city with more than 25 million people. Car dealerships had to remain closed. City-based China Eastern Airlines reported a 90.7% drop in passenger numbers in April compared with the same month last year.