Shanghai opened for business and eased a range of COVID restrictions for residents in low-risk neighborhoods Wednesday.
Full subway and bus services, as well as basic rail connections with the rest of China, opened Wednesday; while malls, convenience stores, pharmacies, and beauty parlors prepared to operate at 75% capacity.
Residents from low-risk areas were allowed to move freely starting Wednesday after a two-month lockdown that began in late-March, which confined millions to their homes and battered Shanghai's economy.
"This is a moment that we have been looking forward to for a long time," the Shanghai municipal government said in a statement.
Shanghai Deputy Mayor Zong Ming told reporters Tuesday that parks and other scenic spots would gradually open.
Restaurant dining, cinemas, gyms, and schools, however, remain closed to the public.
Residents would also require negative COVID-19 test results to use most services, leading to mixed feelings among people who were both happy and wary about how quickly the situation could change.
