Shanghai thanks citizens for COVID-19 battle milestone

Residents ride bikes on the Bund in Shanghai.

The Shanghai government issued a letter of thanks to all citizens on Wednesday as life and work began returning to normal after the COVID-19 resurgence was brought under control.

The arduous battle to defend Shanghai achieved major milestones during the more than two months when the city struggled against the most severe coronavirus pandemic in China since the original outbreak in 2020.

The government thanked the vast number of medical and disease control personnel, grass-roots cadres, community workers, volunteers, police, service personnel and journalists for their hard work on the front line during the COVID-19 battle.

It thanked various national departments, provinces and cities as well as the People's Liberation Army, all of whom offered all-out assistance to Shanghai.

"In particular, the city government would like to thank all Shanghai citizens for their support and dedication," the Communist Party of China Shanghai Committee and the municipal government said in the letter to every resident.

The government conceded that many citizens encountered difficulties and inconveniences in work and life due to the long lockdown.

No room for complacency

However, since the COVID-19 resurgence, every citizen has cooperated in different ways and actively participated in various pandemic prevention and control works.

Many took the initiative to volunteer for service. They worked tirelessly and were not afraid of risks, the government said.

It noted that there is still no room for complacency in consolidating the achievements of pandemic prevention and control, while the task of accelerating economic and social recovery is increasingly urgent.

"We will make every effort to promote the full restoration of normal production and life order, and to recover the time and losses caused by the pandemic," the government insisted.

The city has released 50 measures to speed up economic recovery and revitalization, while public transportation and medical care services are returning to normal.

In the next step, the city will provide more care to special groups such as the elderly, children, and pregnant women, who are especially vulnerable to health crises like the pandemic.

It will also accelerate the transformation and upgrading of old communities, urban villages, and wet markets, which were the hardest hit areas during the resurgence.

The city aims to create a more resilient, safer and more attractive development environment with its urban spirit and qualities.

"We will usher in a comprehensive victory in the defense of Shanghai, when the city will regain its prosperous vitality and move toward a better future," the government concluded.