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Shanghai orders mass Pudong lockdown in push to contain Covid-19 surge
- Vast area on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River to undergo four days of testing from 5am Monday
- Puxi will then lock down for four days to help contain spread of Omicron
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In a major U-turn late on Sunday night, authorities in the Chinese financial hub of Shanghai ordered a vast swathe of the city into a lockdown from Monday to try to contain the spread of a coronavirus outbreak.
The city government said that from 5am the Pudong New Area – a 1,200 sq km (465 sq mile) zone on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River and home to about 5.7 million people – would lock down for four days of mass testing.
The districts of Jinshan, Fengxian, Chongming and part of Minhang must also to go into lockdown from 5am Monday.
After that, Puxi, on the western bank of Huangpu River, will go into lockdown for four days.
Residents will be confined to their neighbourhoods and all public transport, including buses, metro lines, taxis and ferries as well as privately owned vehicles will be barred from travelling between the two areas.
02:51
Shanghai imposes phased lockdowns as daily Covid infection numbers surge beyond 3,000
Shanghai imposes phased lockdowns as daily Covid infection numbers surge beyond 3,000
The surprise decision came after repeated assurances by city officials that Shanghai would not go into a lockdown.
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