Lockdown lifted on some markets, warehouses giving life supplies

Delivery staff transport vegetables and other life supplies for residents under lockdown.

Lockdown will be lifted for a group of markets and warehouses in the city in order to ensure life supplies for residents, Shanghai Vice Mayor Chen Tong said on Thursday.

A "white list" of local wholesale markets, delivery centers, e-commerce warehouses and central kitchens that strictly implement COVID-19 prevention measures will open.

These critical providers will be excluded from the city's ongoing lockdown and quarantine measures to help alleviate distribution-network problems, Chen said at the city's daily COVID-19 press briefing.

Additional fresh food stores, supermarkets, drugstores and e-commerce warehouses near local locked-down and controlled areas will conduct close-door operations to receive online orders and make deliveries, Chen said.

Within the precautionary areas, or subdistricts and towns without new positive cases, some stores will open with reservations, volume limits and prevention measures required, he added.

"The city government will try its best to provide life supplies to the 25 million residents of Shanghai," the vice mayor said.

He went on to say that the city still has sufficient supplies of rice, flour, grain, cooking oil and pork. Some suppliers outside Shanghai can transport additional vegetables and pork to the city whenever there's a need.

Delivery staff sort vegetables for Shanghai residents under lockdown.

However, there are challenges for "last kilometer" and "last 100 meters" delivery service, because most stores, supermarkets and wet markets have suspended operations. The delivery capacity of e-commerce platforms has also fallen during the resurgence of the virus, Chen said.

The city will stick to the "group purchasing and distribution of normal price packages" approach.

Supermarkets, e-commerce platforms and meal-delivery companies have been asked to ensure an adequate supply of goods, while local neighborhood committees and property management firms will facilitate residents' food orders and provide deliveries.

Vegetable gift packs from local district governments will cover every local household. Anyone who has yet to receive these gift packs can call their neighborhood committees or the service hotline of their subdistricts or towns, Chen said.

To enhance delivery capacity, delivery staff within locked-down areas are allowed to leave their communities and return to their workplaces. Leading courier firms, such as EMS and SF Express, are beefing up their delivery teams to complete "last kilometer" delivery services.

Chen said the government is severely cracking down on price gouging during the lockdown. Local authorities have investigated and punished 155 violators. Citizens are welcome to leave tips via the 12315 hotline.

The vice mayor thanked residents for their "tolerance and consideration."

Shanghai reported 322 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 19,660 local asymptomatic infections on Wednesday.

Vegetable gift packs from local district governments will cover every local household.

Classified treatments

Another round of citywide nucleic acid tests and antigen self-testing will take place on Thursday, said Wu Qianyu, an official with the Shanghai Health Commission.

Designated hospitals primarily receive infected people with normal or severe symptoms, along with some pregnant women, children and seniors who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, Wu said.

Treatments for those with mild or normal symptoms are based on their actual symptoms and conditions. They are closely monitored and treated with traditional Chinese medicines (TCM).

Seniors and those with underlying conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension and tumors, are treated for their diseases and to enhance their immune systems, inhibit inflammation and improve organ functions.

Makeshift hospitals also primarily treat asymptomatic and mild cases, and patients are transferred to designated hospitals if their conditions worsen.

Shanghai has earmarked a group of designated and makeshift hospitals exclusively for COVID-19 patients since March. A number of large public facilities have been converted into makeshift hospitals.

The National Exhibition and Convention Center, for example, is being converted into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds, according to Wu.

Citizens receive a new round of nucleic acid tests.