Shanghai to gradually begin reopening malls, other firms post Covid lockdown

The city of 25 million people has been locked down for more than six weeks as its battles a COVID outbreak.

The Chinese financial and manufacturing hub of Shanghai will gradually begin reopening businesses such as shopping malls and hair salons from Monday after weeks in a strict COVID-19 lockdown, the city's vice mayor told a media briefing on Sunday.

Local residents queue with umbrellas for nucleic acid tests for the Covid-19 coronavirus in a compound under lockdown in the Pudong district in Shanghai. (Photo by LIU JIN / AFP)

The city of 25 million people has been locked down for more than six weeks as its battles a COVID outbreak.