China wants to move on from covid. In Shanghai I see the ghosts of lockdown everywhere

By Don Weinland

A stroll through the heart of Shanghai in mid-January brings on a nasty case of cognitive dissonance. Traffic is as noisy as ever. Cafés are packed. Undaunted by a recent cold snap, Shanghainese have bundled themselves up in puffy jackets and zip around on electric bikes. Walking beneath the bare plane trees along the city’s quaint lanes, I can’t help dwelling on the troubling time, less than a year ago, when it was hard to spot a single soul in this area.

Back then the city of 25m was enduring one of the country’s longest lockdowns as a result of China’s strict “zero-covid” policy, designed to prevent any spread of the novel coronavirus. Most residents, myself included, were kept in their homes for two months. Food and drinking water were scarce at times. Some people died because they couldn’t get routine medical care. All the shops and restaurants were closed. The façades of buildings on many streets had been boarded up to keep people from leaving their homes.