Shanghai reopened a tiny portion of the world’s longest subway system Tuesday after several lines had been shuttered for nearly two months, paving the way for a more full lifting of the city’s excruciating COVID-19 lockdown next week.
With most inhabitants barred from leaving their homes and restrictions tightening in portions of China’s most populous metropolis, commuters needed compelling reasons to travel early yesterday.
The lockdown in Shanghai and other cities has harmed spending, industrial output, and other areas of the Chinese economy in recent months, forcing policymakers to vow support.
Many visitors to the commercial district wore blue safety robes and face shields. Passengers were seen maintaining some empty seats between themselves within the vehicles. The crowds were sparse.
A migrant construction worker named Xu Jihua arrived at a metro stop before it opened at 7 a.m., intending to catch a train to the eastern province of Anhui.
“Work stopped on March 16,” Xu explained, adding that he had not been able to earn his monthly 7,000-to-8,000 yuan (US$1,046 to US$1,195) wage since then and would only return to Shanghai if he was certain he could find work.
Four of the twenty lines have returned, as have 273 bus routes. Some closed in late March, others later, however irregular service with a limited number of stops persisted.
The metropolis of 25 million people plans to remove its citywide lockdown and resume normalcy on Wednesday next week. The majority of movement restrictions would remain in effect this month.
According to the most recent figures, Shanghai’s 800km metro system averaged 7.7 million rides per day in 2020, with an annual passenger throughput of 2.8 billion.
Trains will operate 20 minutes apart for a limited time. Commuters must scan their body temperature at the entrance and present negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results obtained within 48 hours.
Shanghai has gradually reopened convenience stores and wholesale marketplaces, allowing more residents to leave their homes, and has practically removed communal transmissions.
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