# Some in Shanghai allowed out to shop; end of COVID lockdown in sight
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-05-19
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Shanghai residents gratefully embrace the lifting of
Meta Description: Shanghai residents are allowed to shop for groceries as the city eases lockdown restrictions due to zero COVID cases. Get the latest updates here.
URL: https://financedigest.com/some-in-shanghai-allowed-out-to-shop-end-of-covid-lockdown-in-sighthtml

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By Brenda Goh

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – More Shanghai residents were given the freedom to go out to shop for groceries for the first time in nearly two months on Thursday as authorities set out more plans for exiting the city-wide COVID-19 lockdown more fully.

The commercial hub of 25 million recorded no new infections outside quarantined areas for a fifth day in a row, further cementing its “zero COVID” status with each day.

I feel very happy, the lifting of the lockdown is starting,” [shopper Zhong Renqiu said at a Carrefour supermarket](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-supermarkets-ask-shoppers-to-keep-wearing-mask.html "UK supermarkets ask shoppers to keep wearing mask") in the central Changning district that had just reopened.

“We’ve mainly relied on government provisions and group-buys,” said Zhong, who was stocking up on eggs, goji berries, black sesame and oats.

But officials are wary of the danger of new flare-ups of infection in their high-stakes effort to gradually re-open and are planning to [keep most residents largely indoors this month](https://www.financedigest.com/dutch-governor-knot-signals-ecb-will-keep-raising-rates-in-months-ahead-ft.html "Dutch governor Knot signals ECB will keep raising rates in months ahead- FT"), and prioritising work and production over other activities.

Deputy mayor Zhang Wei said economic [activity had been recovering with businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/euro-zone-business-activity-contracted-again-in-aug-outlook-bleak-2.html "Euro zone business activity contracted again in Aug, outlook bleak") able to operate with workers living on site and that authorities would allow more to resume normal operations from the beginning of June.

The city was “striving to achieve a full resumption of [work and production](https://www.financedigest.com/smart-working-versus-presenteeism-enabling-productivity-in-a-post-pandemic-hybrid-work-culture.html "Smart Working Versus Presenteeism: Enabling Productivity in a Post-Pandemic Hybrid Work Culture") as soon as possible,” he said.

The rhythm of work resumption” would be based on the [COVID situation](https://www.financedigest.com/who-urges-china-to-share-specific-data-regularly-on-covid-situation.html "WHO urges China to share specific data regularly on COVID situation"), he said, adding that for the rest of May, on-site work restrictions would remain in place.

Some housing compounds in the Changning district distributed [passes on Thursday for residents](https://www.financedigest.com/on-the-busses-bellway-residents-get-free-12-month-bus-passes.html "On The Busses –  Bellway Residents Get Free 12 Month Bus Passes ") to enter the Carrefour store.

The passes were for one person from each household to go to the [shop for 40 minutes and spend](https://www.financedigest.com/inspiring-spending-how-to-incentivise-customers-to-shop.html "Inspiring Spending – How to incentivise customers to shop") up to 500 yuan ($74). [Residents were advised to walk or ride a bicycle to the shop and told to queue at the entrance two metres apart](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-apartment-residents-suffer-war-in-different-ways.html "Ukraine apartment residents suffer war in different ways").

Some shoppers wore protective gowns, while others wore face shields and gloves.

In another positive sign, four of the city’s 18 metro [lines will resume operations](https://www.financedigest.com/theres-a-fine-line-between-relinquishing-control-and-accountability-financial-institutions-must-balance-both-to-successfully-cloudify-operations-and-meet-customer-expectations.html "There’s a fine line between relinquishing control and accountability. Financial institutions must balance both to successfully cloudify operations and meet customer expectations") from Sunday.

[Shanghai reported fewer than 800 new cases](https://www.financedigest.com/shanghai-finds-cases-after-five-days-of-zero-covid-but-end-of-lockdown-on-track.html "Shanghai finds cases after five days of ‘zero COVID’ but end of lockdown on track"). None were from outside quarantined areas, for a [fifth day](https://www.financedigest.com/european-stocks-rally-for-fifth-day-as-defensives-miners-climb.html "European stocks rally for fifth day as defensives, miners climb") in a row.

The capital Beijing has not [imposed a city-wide shutdown but has gradually tightened restrictions](https://www.financedigest.com/chinas-covid-resurgence-spurs-new-curbs-foxconn-imposes-restrictions.html "China’s COVID resurgence spurs new curbs, Foxconn imposes restrictions") over the past month to contain a small but persistent outbreak of a few dozen new infections a day. It reported 55 new cases for May 18, down from 69.

[SIGNS OF LIFE](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-ad-market-shows-signs-of-life-but-economy-clouds-2023-outlook.html "Digital ad market shows ‘signs of life’ but economy clouds 2023 outlook")

Deputy mayor Zhang said [Shanghai’s economy was gradually returning to normal with daily](https://www.financedigest.com/shanghai-expands-covid-lockdown-as-new-daily-cases-surge-by-a-third.html "Shanghai expands COVID lockdown as new daily cases surge by a third") container throughput at its ports at 90% of the levels of a year ago.

Pudong Airport cargo throughput has reached 70% of last year’s levels, while the number of freight [vehicles entering and leaving the city was back](https://www.financedigest.com/investors-go-back-to-basics-with-simpler-self-driving-vehicles.html "Investors go back to basics with simpler self-driving vehicles") to two thirds, he said.

Roughly half of Taiwanese companies that suspended work in China because of [COVID had resumed production](https://www.financedigest.com/roche-flags-2023-earnings-decline-on-slump-in-covid-products.html "Roche flags 2023 earnings decline on slump in COVID products"), the democratically ruled island’s economy minister said.

In another sign of improvement in China’s manufacturing, data showed retail car [sales jumped](https://www.financedigest.com/indias-tata-motors-jumps-to-a-7-month-high-on-strong-q4-jlr-sales.html "India’s Tata Motors jumps to a 7-month high on strong Q4 JLR sales") 27% in the first half of May from the same period in April.

But they were still down 21% from a year earlier.

[COVID curbs](https://www.financedigest.com/were-going-to-be-free-chinese-cheer-as-covid-curbs-are-loosened.html "‘We’re going to be free’: Chinese cheer as COVID curbs are loosened") in May were not as strict and widespread as in April but still weighed on growth.

Goldman Sachs on Wednesday [cut its 2022 economic growth forecast for China](https://www.financedigest.com/lighting-maker-signify-cuts-2022-outlook-again-on-china-business-lighting.html "Lighting maker Signify cuts 2022 outlook again on China, business lighting") to 4% from 4.5%, well below the government’s official target of about 5.5%, and warned it could slip further.

China’s “zero COVID” policy has placed hundreds of [millions of people in dozens of cities under various curbs and disrupted global](https://www.financedigest.com/black-panther-sequel-ignites-box-office-with-330-million-global-debut.html "‘Black Panther’ sequel ignites box office with 0 million global debut") manufacturing and firms ranging from Apple and Tesla to Starbucks and Walmart.

The New York Federal Reserve reported in its latest update to a worldwide [index of supply problems that air freight costs between the United States and Asia rose in April and delivery times lengthened globally](https://www.financedigest.com/2017-global-payroll-complexity-index-reveals.html "2017 Global Payroll Complexity Index Reveals ").

This could mean persistent [inflation around](https://www.financedigest.com/no-messing-around-with-red-hot-inflation-five-questions-for-the-ecb.html "No messing around with red-hot inflation: Five questions for the ECB") the world and rising borrowing costs.

British [luxury brand Burberry said on Wednesday its prospects depended on how quickly China](https://www.financedigest.com/loreal-buys-luxury-brand-aesop-with-eye-on-china.html "L’Oreal buys luxury brand Aesop with eye on China"), its biggest market where sales had fallen, recovers from lockdowns.

($1 = 6.7582 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Brenda Goh and David Stanway in Shanghai; Yifan Wang and Ryan Woo in Beijing; the [Beijing and Shanghai](https://www.financedigest.com/tesla-stutters-under-tighter-shanghai-lockdown-beijing-keeps-hunting-covid.html "Tesla stutters under tighter Shanghai lockdown; Beijing keeps hunting COVID") bureaus; Writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Robert Birsel)


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