Shanghai Announced Victory Over Covid-19, Beijing Reopening The Schools

Beijing stated that primary and secondary education institutions would be allowed to resume classes in person, as the top party boss of Shanghai has declared the victory over Covid-19 after the city has reported local zero new cases for the first time in the last two months.

Among several other places in China, the two main cities have implemented restrictions from March till May to stop the Omicron wave spread, along with Shanghai imposed a two-month lockdown lifted on June 1.

The efforts of adherence to the zero Covid policy by China aiming to eliminate all Covid outbreaks have successfully brought the number of cases down but many heavy-handed actions have taken a very heavy toll on the economy and fueled the public anger and even some protests.

In early May the schools were shut by Beijing and the students were asked to move to online education during a spike of Covid cases which is locally transmitted. Middle and high schools senior year students were allowed from June 2 to return to their classrooms.

After the case numbers became lower in recent days, the education commission of the capital city said that all students of primary and secondary schools in the capital could return to their classes in person from last Monday. The kindergartens will be reopening from July 4.

The Municipal Bureau of Sports from Beijing stated separately that the sports activities at non-school locations for the young can resume on June 27 in the community areas where no Covid cases have been reported for consecutive seven days except the basement venues, which will be remain shut.

On Saturday the Universal Beijing Resort has been reopened, which had been closed for almost two months.

Meantime, no new local cases have been reported in Shanghai, both asymptomatic and symptomatic for June 24, the first time the economic hub of China had done so since Feb 23.

The chief of Shanghai Communist Party Li Qiang, at the city’s party congress opening stated that the war to defend Shanghai has been won by the authorities against Covid by implementing President of China Xi Jinping's instructions and that the epidemic prevention decisions by Beijing were correct.

The city, although remains very careful, as indoor dining is still banned and most of the students have not been allowed to start in-person classes. The mass PCR testing has also been planned every weekend by the city for its 25 million residents till the end of July.

Shenzhen the southern city of China implemented in March a week-long lockdown after facing continued difficulties in eliminating Omicron. After six local cases were discovered on Friday its officials stated that it would shut down all parks and cinemas as well as suspend Futian district public events.

The residents of the city are now also required to show a negative Covid test taken within 24 hours to enter public places, shortened from 48 hours accepted previously, which basically requires people to get a daily test before entering places like malls or taking public transport.