Despite the deep discontent sparked by Shanghai's stringent curbs - about 2.5 million in the city are still under lockdown - China has vowed to stick with its approach. It says that the zero-COVID policy is needed to save lives and prevent its healthcare system from being swamped, even as much of the world tries to return to normal despite ongoing infections.
That increasingly means COVID-19 testing is becoming a feature of daily life: China's goal is to have testing sites within a 15 minute walk for everyone in large cities.On Thursday, videos shared on social media showed people fleeing the luxury International Finance Centre mall in the city's Lujiazui financial district after it stopped people from entering or exiting - a common practice at venues when a positive COVID-19 test result is found.
The IFC mall, run by Sun Hung Kai Properties, later issued a notice saying that it had reopened at 12.30pm local time after carrying out a full disinfection without confirming whether there had been a positive COVID-19 test at the site. The mall did not respond to calls seeking further comment. The ruling Chinese Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper on Thursday also published a commentary in which it said that the zero-COVID policy was most appropriate for China's situation. It also carried a front-page article describing how Shanghai was returning to normal.