SHANGHAI LOCKDOWN

Residents were arrested for spreading “lockdown” rumors, yet five days later, Shanghai effectively entered a full lockdown. Pandemic control has become a struggle over who gets to define the narrative in society.

While the authorities claimed that there was "no lockdown" and that "a lockdown was unnecessary," ordinary people in Shanghai were subjected to abrupt and harsh shutdown measures, facing a paralyzed daily life.

As long as the authorities have not explicitly declared a ‘lockdown,’ there is no de facto lockdown.

Corresponding to the grid-based community management, the strict crackdown on online public opinion persisted throughout the pandemic.

By using a dummy to impersonate an elderly citizen, the TV station attempted to uphold the illusion of normalcy — a politically motivated act of self-deception.

Rumors of a Shanghai lockdown were accompanied by claims that all delivery and courier services would be suspended. Officials later denied these claims, stating that the platforms were merely experiencing capacity shortages.

Two-day-old refrigerated vegetables were deemed not fresh enough and thrown into the trash, while expired and spoiled canned foods were easily delivered to thousands of households

In a Shanghai rumor-refuting recording, a couple was mistakenly diagnosed as positive.

Countless people in Shanghai — and even from other cities — discovered that they had been “volunteered” without their knowledge.

Several netizens posted real photos showing that grass has indeed started growing on the Bund

To maintain public opinion stability, the Shanghai COVID-19 Prevention and Control Office promptly issued a "rumor refutation."

“Getting a Shanghai COVID pass through an agent — 1,000 yuan per pass”

A large number of internet users have complained that Shanghai’s reopening seems endlessly delayed, with some even calling for "Shanghai Fabu" to be labeled as a fraudulent account.

“We really feel like we’re living in a parallel world — we don’t know who has gone back to work or where businesses have actually reopened.”

“The majority of people in Shanghai aren’t feeling any hustle and bustle—only sitting silently at home, stewing in frustration.”

“We never officially announced a ‘lockdown,’ so there is no such thing as a ‘reopening.’"

The district had conducted five rounds of COVID testing, and the elderly man had never left his apartment, yet the neighborhood committee failed to check on him.

The claim that his wife committed suicide is a rumor; however, the suicide of health official Qian Wenxiong is a confirmed fact.

“It’s been nearly two months of lockdown. Since I was born, I’ve never experienced anything like this—being locked in my home, unable to go out. It’s an absolute joke.”

“Not great, the administrative system is half-paralyzed.”

"A top-down inspection that feels more like a thief sneaking around."

"Who in their right mind would pile everything on the dining table when they have nothing else to do?"

"When the leaders arrive, the supplies follow."

Shanghai began to implement the management of closure and control in two batches of areas for four days each, however, since then opened a two-month closure of the city

A new round of citywide lockdowns will be rotated in order to test 26 million people for nucleic acid.

The word “closure” is not used in the full text of the closure notice. However, at the same time as the zoning closure, it was also announced that traffic control would be carried out in the closed nucleic acid testing area.

From 3 o'clock on the 1st, the area west of the Huangpu River entered the whole area of static management, which is the last area in Shanghai to begin the whole area of static management

Shanghai Municipal Government sends letter to all citizens, says Shanghai's spring will be beautiful as usual

We must adhere to the general policy of “dynamic zero” without hesitation or wavering, and be quick.

CDC, Health Cloud, and healthcare providers are all on their own, it's very confusing, and the CDC has gone up the chain of command many times, but no one listens

The Shanghai Municipal Health Commission stated that after children are placed in quarantine for treatment, only parents who test positive are allowed to accompany them.

Parents don't know news of their two-year-old child for days after he was separated and isolated from his mother

The diary is paved with a mom's heartbreak and a witness to the pediatric ward's transition from chaos, to a gradual return to order.

No house is left behind, no one is left behind, and the day is clear.

The previous official announcement of April 1 Pudong unblocked, April 5 Puxi unblocked are null and void.

With erratic supplies of living goods and unblocking nowhere in sight, the online world is filled with anger ......

Of these, 7,624 are closed areas, 2,460 are controlled areas, and 7,565 are precautionary areas.

The age limit of 65 for transferring party pods no longer exists and has been replaced by “all receipts”, while Grandma has already tested herself negative

Being invisible makes them like an isolated island.

I don't know why, but every day there's a new bottom line.

Students' problems are not urgent life-and-death dilemmas; their distress is more on a spiritual and psychological level.

On March 13, 2022, Fudan University announced the closure of the school.On April 4, 2022, Fudan University announced the closure of the building. Several students and teachers who were on campus recounted what happened at the school during these days. The more people who recount, the closer to the truth the facts are pieced together.

An internist living in the Putuo District of Puxi told the reporter that a paper certificate is not useful if you want to go out and participate in normal epidemic prevention work, but rather, you have to 'rely on quarrels'.

The article is an answer to the question of Zhihu, “On March 29th, there were 326 new confirmed local cases and 5656 asymptomatic infections in Shanghai, what is the current situation? The answer to the question “What is the current situation? The author believes that the epidemic prevention and control in Shanghai proved that precision prevention and control is ineffective against Omicron, even if the current action continues to adhere to the clearing of the zero, but also must be the principle of six months after the opening to go to make preparations for the laying of the groundwork for the preparation.

Residents were forcibly taken to Shanghai Nanhui Fangcang Shelter Hospital for quarantine, where there were no blankets, no nurses, and no supplies. Eventually, patients ran out of the facility, scrambling for blankets, rice, and other necessities. The day after the author published an article about the situation, readers reported that conditions at Nanhui Fangcang had improved.

At this point in time, the situation in the South Gateway square pod has improved from what was previously rumored on the internet, however, the quarantined personnel are still facing conditions such as no hot water heater, water outages, lack of supplies, and no medication.

一段约20分钟的录音记录了上海一对夫妻与上门的防疫人员的对话以及他们的崩溃。夫妻坚称自己是阴性，而且有报告，但防疫人员坚称，自己接到的通知是这对夫妻是阳性，他们不看报告，只执行上级的命令。

For those who refuse transfer, the entire residential community will be collectively punished.

The salesman who optimistically broadcasts live, the head nurse who cheers everyone up, the construction team leader who tries to solve the toilet problem, and the big white man who still works at 4:00 am.

You have to make an appointment to take a dump, and if you're worried that the faucet might be contagious, you're not allowed to wash your hands, so you have to go back to your dorm room and use alcohol wipes.

In Shanghai, a medical worker who was barricaded in a small neighborhood hoping to return to work has had a recorded conversation with a neighborhood committee cadre circulated on the Internet. In the conversation, the neighborhood committee cadre said that the community was understaffed and that she was on the verge of collapse.

The experience of this neighborhood shows some of the holes in Shanghai's early resistance to the epidemic, and the answer to why Shanghai was lost in the first place is actually in there.

In the lockdown area, "strict isolation" is being implemented, with barriers set up at the building exits.

People first realized that the most insignificant things in life, like a stalk of green onion, a pack of coffee filters, or a sheet of printer paper, can become so precious.

This is a spring that truly happened, and it is a part of our collective memory.

Some people enjoy that sense of power.

Static management of the entire region, full detection and screening, comprehensive flow investigation, universal cleaning and elimination, and full inspection and remediation of defects

The Shanghai Municipal Health Commission stated that since the launch of the "Zero-COVID" campaign, the results have gradually become apparent. However, the pandemic remains very severe, and the epidemic prevention work is at a critical moment, facing a tough uphill battle.

During the silent period, all residents must stay indoors except for participating in organized nucleic acid testing; community delivery pickup points are closed, and all deliveries are refused; individual express deliveries and food deliveries are suspended, including placing orders and distribution; all group purchases are also suspended, including order placement and delivery.

Some residential communities prohibited residents from using motor vehicles, allowing only pedestrian movement; entry into certain venues required a nucleic acid test report, yet “those with test reports couldn’t leave, and those who left didn’t have test reports”; in other cases, residents were denied access to essential places such as supermarkets or wet markets simply because those locations did not fall within the boundaries of their designated subdistrict.

Many prevention zones upgraded control measures after just one day, with community access permits becoming invalid after one day.

Changning District in Shanghai has released the first list of "Covid-Free Communities." The author raises questions: So, is the "three-zone" policy still in effect? What is the difference between this and the "three zones"? Could this lead to discrimination against confirmed patients within the entire community?

Since the introduction of the “COVID-free community” evaluations, I’ve witnessed numerous shouting matches between residents and neighborhood committees, as well as among the residents themselves.

1、Any use of coercive measures to forcibly send residents to makeshift quarantine facilities is illegal and must be stopped immediately； 2、No institution in Shanghai has the authority to forcibly demand residents hand over their house keys and enter their homes for “disinfection”。

Does such disinfection have scientific value? Does it infringe upon citizens' private property rights?

A widely circulated video of “forced in-home disinfection” shows health workers in full protective gear emptying refrigerators and spraying disinfectant on every corner of the interior, including the fridge, floor, and sofa.

A staff member from the Publicity Department of Suining County, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, responded to the media, stating that the circulated video shows terminal disinfection carried out at the residences of positive cases and asymptomatic carriers according to local epidemic prevention policies.

The disinfection work is carried out by a professional agency. To facilitate the disinfection of the hallways, supporting facilities have been specially prepared for residents to rest by the roadside. The street authorities absolutely do not engage in any forced entry into homes or compulsory disinfection actions.

Home disinfection targets households with positive cases, but there is one exception — in older residential communities where kitchens and bathrooms are shared.

In a civilized society governed by the rule of law, public authority must not be arrogant, and private rights should be respected and protected from infringement.

Renowned Shanghai scholar Xu Zidong revealed on Weibo that famous Shanghai host Ye Huixian’s home contains over ten thousand books and cultural relics, many of which are masterpieces and even unique copies. Ye Huixian stated that if anyone comes to his home for disinfection, he would rather jump from the upper floor.

The disinfection work is carried out by professional agencies, and there is absolutely no forced entry or disinfection by breaking into homes conducted by the subdistrict authorities.

A large number of users have commented with similar experiences, raising concerns about the accuracy of nucleic acid testing conducted by certain laboratories.

The necessary facilities were not yet completed, conditions were harsh, management was chaotic, and even the toilets had not been connected to running water.

Living collectively with 299 roommates. Every night, amidst the thunderous snoring, you can hear muffled sobbing into pillows.

Two elderly individuals in their 60s were quarantined at home together with their 92-year-old bedridden mother.

The living conditions of people with disabilities, patients, and the elderly in Fangcang shelter hospitals

"Little Yang Ren" has become the standardized label for COVID-19 positive patients. These new terms have led to issues of stigmatization and discrimination against those infected with the virus.

“After being released from this ‘prison,’ we can finally go for a spring outing on the Bund.”

The Discursive Evolution of Shanghai as a “Model Student” in COVID Control

“We are not standing still — we are driving in reverse, flooring the gas pedal while in reverse gear.”

Residents Refuse Quarantine Despite Negative COVID Tests; Police Visit and Use Violence

Why Targeted COVID Control Failed: The False Dichotomy Between “Zero-COVID” and “Reopening”

During the lockdown, the residential areas in Shanghai were enclosed with barriers, and the streets were blocked off.

White Terror — The Disinfection Army Sets Out in Formation

Parents locked down in Shanghai due to the pandemic — a 13-year-old boy left to live alone at home for two months; one positive case leads to an entire building being quarantined, a patient with ALS forcibly taken away; local authorities demand keys from transferred residents for in-home disinfection.

The original close contacts were not transferred, while those just discharged from the cabin hospital were taken away again as close contacts.

News crew filmed the community reopening, but the gates were closed again two hours after opening.

Media interviewed passengers live, met with complaints about lockdown policies.

News That Should Not Be Forgotten During Shanghai’s Lockdown

There is only one week left until the full resumption of work and production, and the challenges to achieve this may be immense.

Sixty-one “ordinary people” fighting against the dust of the times during these 61 days.

So that when this period is mentioned again in the future, only accurate memories remain—not mistaken ones.

This article is a collection of answers from Zhihu users responding to the question, “Are there others like me who have been unable to recover emotionally since the Shanghai outbreak? How have you been coping?” Many respondents commented that they still haven’t been able to recover.

Those Silent Shops, and the Growing Termites

In some residential compounds, residents celebrated by waving the national flag and singing songs such as “Ode to the Motherland.”

Government drones broadcasted: "Please control your soul’s yearning for freedom."

During the Shanghai lockdown, several anti-domestic violence volunteers received about three times as many help requests from victims as they normally would.

In the makeshift shelters, women’s safety and privacy were difficult to guarantee, with constant male gazes everywhere.

The decisions and arrangements made by the Party Central Committee regarding epidemic prevention and control are completely correct, and socialism with Chinese characteristics has unparalleled institutional advantages.

It's not that the community committee is failing to act, but that higher authorities refuse to intervene.

The Wukang Road building, bathed in the March sunlight, exudes an air of isolation.

None of the mothers giving birth that day had access to epidural anesthesia.

Today is Grain Rain, my ninth COVID test. I saw this bird by the roadside, and I envied it.

App notice on the closure of supermarkets and fresh food stations in Shanghai.

It shows as in stock, but ordering is not possible.

An Episode of the Stochastic Volatility Podcast on Community Group Buying in Shanghai

Netizens protest and complain about being unable to get vegetables.

Netizens organized group purchases to support Paris Baguette after it was fined

During the lockdown, Shanghai residents began sharing photos of their balcony plants.

Supplies distributed in Meilong Town, Shanghai, included contaminated pork.

Residents across Shanghai have raised concerns over the quality of government-distributed supplies.

Numerous Shanghai residents posted on their social media showing problematic supplies.

A deputy mayor choked up and made it to the trending list, while a topic about grocery shopping in Shanghai got censored.

When people couldn't get groceries, the TV station taught everyone about fasting.

A family of four is facing a food shortage crisis on the 28th day of lockdown.

The author was warned by the police after publishing the previous article, "Yes, I'm Running Out of Food."

I'm a good black man, please don't eat me, Shanghai.

“Even if 99% of Shanghai’s 25 million residents have their basic needs met, that still leaves 250,000 people struggling to eat — this is an international metropolis in 2022!”

In the internet age, the cries for help from the elderly often go unnoticed.

Helping the elderly can only rely on grassroots mutual aid.

317,400 elderly people living alone have become one of the most vulnerable groups during this wave of the pandemic in Shanghai.

Beyond the internet world, the situation, difficulties, and needs of 51 elderly people living alone.

The vegetables and supplies received have already turned into wet waste

In places without property management, residents organized mutual aid on their own.

"Don't be indifferent just because it hasn't happened to you."

Even if you are just a nobody, you still need to let out a sigh of relief.

The quantities of supplies donated by Wenling, Zhejiang were reported differently in various articles.

Group-buying “leaders” who open up supply channels for millions of residents

the shanghai enclave that has ensured the supply of daily essentials

Who gets to decide whether we are a "healthy" person?

"Live fish are not allowed into the residential compound."

How does human nature turn into bestiality under the illusion of power?

Community Residents Eat Instant Noodles, While Neighborhood Committee Staff Enjoy Swiss Rolls

A blind person, locked down at home, uses an open flame to cook for the first time in their life.

Why can't people get enough food in a world-class metropolis?

Summary of Grocery-Snatching Strategies

Several Shanghai residents’ experiences with stockpiling food.

"They would rather let the food rot than give it to us."

Not dead from COVID-19, but died because of it. A constantly growing list, and some remembrances that should not be forgotten.

People in Shanghai who died due to pandemic prevention rather than COVID-19 after the lockdown until April 13.

Compilation of comments from April 14 on Shanghai Departed

The emergency department of the hospital where she worked was closed due to the pandemic and refused to provide her treatment.

The daughter and the neighbors repeatedly communicated to see if it was possible to use a private car or assistance from the police to take her father to the hospital. However, due to the lockdown of the residential compound, none of these methods succeeded.

In the video, a young woman stands by the window, crying her heart out: "He's already gone!"

"I ran around everywhere, and the only answer I got was: don't come to the hospital right now, we are not admitting patients."

During the lockdown period, he cooperated with the neighborhood committee, handling daily household waste disposal, setting up nucleic acid testing sites, arranging nighttime lighting, organizing manpower, carrying out water and electricity repairs, and inspecting external visitors...

The tragedy quietly occurred when professional caregivers at the care center were forcibly taken away for quarantine.

Some medical staff were transferred for quarantine, leaving the patients and elderly residents with insufficient daily care support. The temporary caregivers who were hastily recruited were poorly managed, causing severe disruption to the normal caregiving routines.

The Hongkou District Health Commission in Shanghai has confirmed that Qian Wenxiong, a cadre of the commission, tragically passed away on the 12th. Officials have visited his family to express their condolences.

Several hospitals' fever clinics were closed. They had to transfer between three different hospitals and then waited in line for an hour to get a COVID test.

Waiting for four hours at the emergency room entrance for nucleic acid test results.

“All medical resources are being used for positive cases and mass testing — are ordinary residents not human beings too?”

Compilation of Weibo SOS messages

Compilation of Content from the "#Shanghai Epidemic Help Requests" Super Topic

Behind the help-seeking messages, what exactly is preventing chronic disease patients from getting their medication?

What if the on-duty medical staff at the quarantine site had arrived earlier to provide care? What if a designated ambulance for the quarantine site had arrived in time?

During the process of maintaining order at a neighborhood nucleic acid test, Jie Mou Rong found that his nephew's son, Xue Mou Wei, was late and littering. He then criticized him as an elder, which led to a physical altercation between the two.

The dog ran out after its owner, and the epidemic prevention personnel beat it to death with a shovel.

After the dog passed away, the staff informed her that the disinfectant contained fluoride. Chlorine-based disinfectants, if inhaled in large quantities, can pose a danger to the life of animals.

During the pandemic control period, the excess mortality rate was higher than the fatality rate of Omicron variant infections.

After the author published an article about a 90-year-old elderly person who passed away due to a lack of proper care during the lockdown, the individual involved received a phone call from the relevant authorities.

An hour after the accident, the ambulance finally arrived, but the delivery worker was pronounced dead.

As more and more hospitals were converted into designated COVID hospitals, the pressure on the emergency departments of non-designated hospitals suddenly increased sharply.

The shortage of caregivers and lack of staff—this time, it’s not just the Xinchangzheng Welfare Institute that has been overwhelmed by the pandemic.

In a video circulating online, a woman wearing a blue uniform repeatedly kicks and hits an elderly man sitting on the ground with a tool.

Did the deaths of elderly COVID-19 patients relate to forced transfers?

For approximately five hours, there were no doctors in the ward.

Pudong Hospital informed that they would not accept COVID-positive patients for dialysis. During the wait for transfer, he went four days without dialysis and passed away

Because people returning from Shanghai had to go to a quarantine facility, the author was unable to see their mother one last time.

The box contains the ashes of his late wife. This 60-year-old man walked 7 kilometers on foot to bring her home.

A community "section leader" worked continuously for 25 days, exceeding capacity.

Elaine, the HR manager at Danaher, was refused treatment because her COVID test report, which was required for access to the closed community, had expired by just a few hours.

As of April 25, Shanghai had a total of 190 death cases, with the youngest being 33 years old, the oldest 101 years old, and an average age of 82.52 years.

What was originally a warm and kindhearted story turned into a tragedy.

"Now this matter has simply ended with a death, and nothing else. We just want a fair explanation and let everyone judge this case."

"Can you bear the risk?" "Let go when it's time to let go." The doctor and police said this to her countless times.

If only there had been a visit from the community committee even once, he wouldn't have died.

I am in Pudong, and my dad is in Puxi. There is no transportation available to get there. I don’t know if I can see him one last time before he is cremated.

Through the compilation and screening of online help requests and death statements from relatives, a total of 170 cases of deaths caused by the pandemic prevention disaster have been recorded.

Only frontline nurses enter the contaminated area, sparking protests: Are nurses' lives worthless?

The community has been locked down for 9 days, why there are no vegetables to eat, why two positive cases, and more than 1,000 people in the entire Longbai Six Villages have to be locked down.

Throughout April, balcony concerts were played in various districts of Shanghai, becoming the main organising channel for protests through sound and noise.

The whole of Shanghai has to unite to reduce the burden on the medical system and prevent the epidemic scientifically.

Due to the lack of materials, residents of a community in Shanghai collectively shouted and scolded the "stupid neighborhood committee"

The basic support of more than 4,000 people is all on the eight members of the neighborhood committee, and there are no personnel and no material support

He didn't know which people in the community were positive infections and close contacts, when the cases were transferred to the isolation point, and why the residents were only given out materials once after the lockdown for so long.

All the staff of the neighborhood committee lived in the neighborhood committee for 24 days, giving up their families and all their lives

On the one hand, there is sickness and hunger, and on the other hand, there is singing and dancing.

The Zhangjiang Nast International Community in Zhangjiang Township, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, forcibly expropriated residents' apartments as quarantine shelters, sparking protests and official repression.

To speak up for her is to speak up for yourself

Many problems are caused by the lack of integrity, uncoordinated work, and inadequacy of government agencies at all levels, and in the end, problems are deposited again and again in the residents' committees at the most basic level

The authors, together with their colleagues and friends, have set up a mutual aid form for people with disabilities during the epidemic to collect the needs of people with disabilities in Shanghai.

Hashtags such as “lalaland,” “call me by your name,” and “sneaky joy/Zhao sneaky joy” have all been censored, and even the first line of China’s national anthem, “#Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves,” has been subject to censorship on Weibo.

Multiple anti-lockdown banners appeared on Huashan Road in Shanghai.

Nonagenarian displays overwhelming combat prowess

“This government is like a piece of shit; the whole system is terrible and utterly absurd. This is truly a disgrace to you, the government, Shanghai, and China…”

How volunteers organized and guided the establishment of a self-governance system within the quarantined building

An almost 70-year-old neighborhood committee secretary, along with a group of elderly volunteers, self-rescued during the lockdown.

The WeChat Official Account @季风书园JIFENGBOOKSTORE published an open letter and a reading list titled "Resistance."

A symbolic short film of resistance during the Shanghai lockdown and the entire pandemic period.

33 Derivative Versions of "Voices of April"

Residents of Huixianju Community in Shanghai collectively opposed hard lockdown measures and were temporarily successful.

Shanghai Medicine Mutual Aid WeChat Group “We Are Not the God of Medicine”

“Stop fucking reading that press release—anyone can do that. Can you turn on your mic and speak for real? You bastard.”

“If this pandemic can be called a victory, the greatest victory is that it has exposed all the things usually hidden in society.”

"Is playing *The Internationale* a crime now too?"

As of May 2, at least 786 items related to “Voices of April” had appeared on OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT trading platform.

"Actions must be based on the law. This is not an era where leaders can do whatever they want, nor is it a time of lawlessness."

The CDC staff pretended to have a bad signal and hung up the phone.

The elderly woman raised many doubts about the high-frequency, high-dose outdoor fogging disinfection based on the scientific points he knows.

"Have some backbone and be kind. Don’t make things hard for your fellow citizens just for a box of lunch!"

Grassroots mutual aid helping cancer patients cope with secondary disasters caused by COVID lockdowns

“Tell your children that your daily job is to lock other people’s children in their homes, keeping them from going to school or seeing a doctor!”

“Tell the next generation: never let this happen again.”

“People first! Rights foremost! Our human rights must not be trampled!”

Short footage of Shanghai citizens protesting and being arrested.

An elderly man suffering from depression attempted suicide after slashing a neighborhood committee official with a knife, following the rejection of his request for a permit for his wife to go out for medical treatment.

“How will the livelihood issues be resolved? What’s wrong with asking two simple questions?”

Baidu walking navigation shows a distance of over 40 kilometers, requiring a nine-hour walk, but it's still much better than wandering the streets.

An account of how to escape from Shanghai by train during the city's closure.

In an attempt to escape the school's supposedly toughest closure ever, I ran away to a friend's house in Shanghai, and with hindsight, I found myself plunging into another vortex.

Among the departing crowds, Yu Lin, a rider from Shanghai's Xuhui district, ferried a dozen departing Shanghaiers to the Hongqiao train station by electric bicycle.

A “Knight”, a ferryman connecting “Shanghai” and “Home”.

In order to continue to provide supplies for the group, she lived in a store with no beds and no showers

Providing assistance and shelter for these people became the main work of the staff of the rescue station in Yangpu District during the closure and control period.

Who would choose, at a time like this, to ride for hours, drag several suitcases, walk for hours, or even sleep on the streets or under an overpass for a night — just to leave?

Deciding to leave means being prepared to wander.

According to data recorded by the Australian government in March and April this year, a total of 594 Australian citizens and permanent residents returned to Australia from Shanghai.

A Shanghai journalist shares with Deutsche Welle his firsthand account of the April lockdown, along with his personal experiences and emotions.

The Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau stated at the time that for homeless individuals who met the conditions for leaving the city and wished to return to their hometowns, assistance could be provided for their return. However, in addition to strict eligibility requirements, the channels for leaving Shanghai were also extremely limited.

In his Facebook post, he said that he managed to reach the airport through “connections” and boarded a United Airlines flight in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” way

Unable to wait for the promised date of reopening, and seeing no end to the home quarantine.

Hope rises, only to be shattered — again and again, in a relentless cycle.

During the lockdown, searching for medicine for my father with cancer felt like Run Lola Run trapped in a never-ending Groundhog Day.

From Pudong to Puxi: Patients Roaming Across Shanghai in Search of Treatment

在一栋没有人能出去的楼里，那个女人的出现让人们兴奋。

At first, they said it would be a four-day lockdown.

Under the elevated highway by the train station, stranded travelers had taken shelter.

People living in Shanghai envy those who live in the news.

Throughout the lockdown, a large number of expatriates in Shanghai were sharing strategies and fleeing collectively.

A Rashomon-like tale of a corporate executive who fled to the United States.

Several epidemic prevention security team members encountered issues such as "deceptive recruitment," the team leader going missing, and delayed payment of wages and allowances.

The company hasn't cared about us since the first day of the pandemic. They are very irresponsible towards us. This money is earned by risking our lives.

A previously unheard term: "History of No Positive Cases." In other words, if someone has ever been positive, they lose the qualification for even the most basic job.

The restaurant industry in Shanghai is falling deeper into a经营困境 as they face the challenge of "resuming work without dine-in services."

The real self-rescue situation of Shanghai’s restaurant industry.

Shanghai has issued the *Several Policy Measures to Support the Healthy Development of Self-Employed Businesses*, supporting self-employed businesses in suspending operations voluntarily.

Among the diners at the same table, a representative is recommended, commonly known as the "table leader."

Once a street filled with established restaurants and bustling crowds, it has now become desolate.

With the pandemic recurring, Shanghai’s consumption is unlikely to experience a clear “V”-shaped rebound like Wuhan’s after its reopening.

Most of them closed in mid-March, and the suspension has already lasted for more than two months. “An interruption may well mean no chance of starting over.”

It is necessary to be vigilant against remarks about pay cuts and layoffs that undermine confidence in Shanghai’s development prospects.

Authorities erected fences around the bridge underpass, making it increasingly difficult for the riders living there to find a place to sleep.

From suspension of work and production to resumption, the difficulties faced by different types of enterprises in Shanghai and surrounding areas.

Located in Pudong, Shanghai, the Donghai Elderly Care Hospital has had at least a dozen caregivers test positive and taken away for quarantine, with severe cross-infection issues inside the facility.

The domestic workers demanded that follow-up quarantine and living arrangements be properly handled, that responsibility be clearly assigned, and that the housekeeping agency refund the previously collected 2,000 yuan service fee.

Every day, she put on protective gear and became a “Big White” in the public restroom.

A group of aunties returning from work to their rental apartments were reported to the police by the property owners as potential threats, and then “evicted” from the compound by the neighborhood committee.

Migrant workers who built the fangcang shelters were left without accommodation, using water from fire hydrants to make instant noodles, sleeping on concrete floors or even on the streets, and becoming infected during construction.

To meet the construction deadline, he once went two days and two nights without sleep, and, out of concern for exposure risk, limited his water intake to avoid using the toilet.

Those transporting materials to the fangcang shelter and bringing in work meals are all people. We can only enter after testing negative for COVID, but there is still no way to ensure we won’t get infected.

A migrant worker trapped in a Shanghai urban village speaks in his own words.

About how they sustain their livelihoods while carrying out epidemic prevention measures to avoid virus transmission through the circulation of goods

Several truck drivers told *China Newsweek* that their income has dropped significantly compared with before the pandemic, and because of the epidemic prevention risks, they also carry the stigma of being “like rats crossing the street, scorned by everyone.”

They built clay stoves by the roadside, gave each other haircuts on small stools, and even had fishing rods and nets. By the “frozen” roadside, there was a small river, where they would catch fish.

For many companies and enterprises, aside from resuming work, the biggest challenge remains logistics: ports and highways. Beyond demurrage fees, the hardest part is obtaining a travel permit.

The global economy has already felt the ripple effects of Shanghai’s lockdown, impacting everything from commodity prices to electric vehicle production.

As Shanghai gradually recovers from the pandemic, we revisited those who were once homeless.

While delivering supplies to Shanghai, these couriers also faced challenges such as on-site quarantine and lack of accommodation.

The logistics drivers living in their vehicles had almost no time to change clothes or take a shower.

The lockdown caused countless workers to lose their livelihoods, making access to food their greatest challenge.

The emergence of a small gap may have a significant impact on the economy.

Without the reopening of Shanghai’s ports, a large number of enterprises in the upstream industrial chain of the Yangtze River Delta could face severe losses at any moment.

After a month of lockdown, ordinary people were already struggling to find food, dealing with endless rounds of nucleic acid and antigen tests, as well as constant quarrels and insults in neighborhood chat groups. Now, on top of that, they even had to scheme and compete just to keep their own jobs and those of their colleagues.

The surreal and bizarre pandemic control measures have caused many entrepreneurs to lose confidence.

Every day we were locked down was “expensive.”

When direct and hidden costs are combined, they approach Shanghai’s total industrial output for the entire year of 2021.

Because they tested positive, recovered workers cannot find jobs, cannot return to their hometowns, and are forced to live on the streets.

Migrant workers contributed to the fight against the pandemic, yet became the most expendable sacrifices.

Wuhan Chef Quits Job to Deliver Food in Shanghai as an Act of Gratitude

The Pandemic Ended the Springtime of Their Lives.

After a wave of closures of physical venues such as cinemas and bookstores, literary and artistic groups, as well as individual artists, also found themselves at a crossroads between staying and leaving.

In the Third Month of Shanghai’s Lockdown, Facing Various Hardships and Uncertainties, Small Shops Are Exhausted.

In the post-pandemic era, an economic downturn is a foregone conclusion.

A company's prospectus reveals to us the business miracles unfolding in the hidden corners of Shanghai amid pandemic lockdowns.

As a medical startup relying on technology for its livelihood, any lockdown forces the suspension of outpatient services and surgeries, resulting in zero offline revenue.

“It’s not that they don't want to return to work, it’s that they really can’t.”

During the Lockdown, Huolala Drivers Stranded in Shanghai Continue to Take Orders, Living in Their Vehicles.

A satirical video series humorously criticizing the absurd chaos during Shanghai’s lockdown. After releasing the second episode, the creator was summoned by Shanghai police.

A Shanghai lockdown survivor T-shirt designed by an online user, with the text "SHANGHAI LOCKDOWN SURVIVOR 2022" written in English on it.

Writer Wang Zhanhei witnessed a neighbor's suicide during Shanghai’s lockdown, which inspired her to write a short story centered around the lockdown experience.

During the Shanghai lockdown, the Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers created a song dedicated to ordinary heroes amidst the pandemic.

Shanghai residents collectively sang Lo Ta-yu’s Tomorrow Will Be Better on the street during the lockdown; police did not directly intervene.

Although the lyrics conclude by stating that the song criticizes Russia and the U.S., the content is more directed at condemning Shanghai's lockdown policies.

The wallpaper parodies Haizi’s famous poem "Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms", rewriting it as "Facing Another Neighborhood, Still Waiting."

Shanghai jokes have since become as famous as Soviet jokes.

Who is directing this play, in this human world of April?

A Shanghai netizen turned all their used antigen test kits into wings and wore them.

A song created by netizens after Shanghai’s “reopening,” rejecting the victory celebrations.

A Hong Kong netizen adapted the song Shanghai Beach into a satirical piece mocking the lockdown in Shanghai.

Author Chen Yaya uses satire to portray the lives of people during lockdown, drawing parallels between "Dream of the Red Chamber" and modern reality. The story explores power struggles and human resilience in the face of a pandemic.

This is no longer a simple case of “infiltration” — it’s a “color revolution”: red + blue.

"The power of music, the sound of silence."

The pandemic will eventually pass, scallions grow fast, but our wisdom grows slowly.

“Let's all go snatch veggies—if you don't snatch today, there'll be none left. Come tomorrow and it's too expensive. We'll all be hungry together!”

“There’s a new phrase now — No business, no Shanghai.”

“When freedom and thought are shackled by power, when green lanes are sealed and become dead ends.”

A print created by an independent artist during lockdown

A dance titled “Let Me Say Thank You” expressing gratitude to “Big Whites” (frontline pandemic workers) has spread on Weibo and short video platforms.

The Japanese occupying forces prohibited citizens from leaving the lockdown zone—even for medical needs or basic supplies—while profiting from reselling goods at high prices. A clip from a historical film is now used to criticize Shanghai’s pandemic measures.

“Have you seen the original of this painting? They’re beating someone—like they’re dancing.”

“Why is it that they made the mistake, but I’m the one who suffers?”

“I live just to do PCR tests, and even if I die—I’ll still do PCR tests.”

On the second day, due to COVID prevention measures, Pang Kuan’s performance art exhibition was suspended for in-person viewing.

In an era marked by pandemics, lockdowns, and contested boundaries of speech, poetry has become a subtle yet powerful form of resistance.