Shanghai retightens COVID-19 restrictions

Shanghai’s 25 million residents hoped that a more than month-long lockdown was finally easing as COVID-19 cases fell. But Thursday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged to maintain the country’s strict “zero COVID policies.” By Tuesday, the government suspended service on the last two subway lines still operating, marking the first time the city’s entire system has closed. Social media videos show police taking residents into quarantine if someone on their apartment floor has tested positive. They’re forced to turn over keys so teams in white protective suits can spray disinfectant and sanitize their homes.

How is the quarantine being enforced? Residents in parts of the city are being ordered to remain in their homes for “quiet periods” of an undisclosed amount of time. Permits to leave compounds have been suspended, and grocery stores are closed except for delivery. The city is China’s major business center, and the lockdown puts further pressure on the global supply chain.

Dig deeper: Read a report from WORLD’s international correspondents on how countries have responded to COVID-19 two years after the outbreak.