Shanghai detects new infections after five days of 'zero COVID'

STORY: The commercial hub of 25 million found three new cases in the same family in Qingpu district. All had taken three doses of vaccine and their infections were discovered during regular testing, authorities said.

Shanghai has been allowing more people to leave their homes in recent days, with many residential compounds issuing a limited number of passes to dwellers for brief walks or trips to the local supermarket. Still, most remained stuck indoors, relying on delivery apps and government rations.

The almost complete shutdown of Shanghai and strict measures in other cities are the result of a national "zero-COVID" policy to end all outbreaks as soon as they occur, in contrast with the resumption of normal life in the rest of the world.

Shanghai reported 770 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases for Thursday (May 19), up from 637 a day earlier, while confirmed symptomatic cases also rose to 88 from 82 the previous day.