Shanghai made some amendments on the widely unpopular Covid policy of child separation on Wednesday, in response to mounting public outrage as it extends a citywide lockdown that has left some residents unable to buy food.

The lockdown in China’s most populous metropolis, which began ten days ago in portions of Shanghai and has since been stretched to encircle nearly all of the city’s 26 million citizens, has wreaked havoc on daily life and business.

Public outcry over the curbs, which are part of Beijing’s eradication campaign, has ranged from concerns about overcrowded and unclean quarantine centers to difficulties obtaining food or getting medical care.

Shanghai’s practise of separating Covid-positive children from their parents, which came to light on Saturday and sparked significant outrage across the country, has been the most contentious policy.

Faced with such criticism, the Shanghai administration announced two days ago that it would ease the restriction significantly, allowing infected parents to accompany their children. However, children would still be separated from non-Covid-positive parents, resulting in further complaints.

A Shanghai health official said on Wednesday that guardians of children with special needs who are infected with Covid can now seek to have them escorted, but they must follow specific criteria and submit a document stating that they are aware of the hazards.

Although others questioned why there was still a need to apply, the statements provided significant popular relief, particularly among parents.

On Wednesday, Shanghai recorded a new high of 16,766 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, up from 13,086 the day before. The number of symptomatic cases increased to 311 from 268 the day before.

Shanghai has emerged as a test bed for China’s Covid eradication “dynamic clearing” approach, which intends to test, trace, and centrally quarantine all positive individuals as well as their close contacts, despite the city’s tiny case counts by worldwide standards.

The city has established 62 temporary quarantine sites at hotels, stadiums, and exhibition centres, as well as converting the National Convention and Exhibition Center into a 40,000-person facility.

Analysts say the economic impact of the present limitations is growing, particularly for small firms, with roughly 200 million individuals in China under some form of restriction, according to Nomura estimates.