China lifts weeks-long lockdown on southwest megacity Chengdu

Government departments, public transport services and companies were able to resume work after shutting down on September 1

Millions of people in the Chinese megacity of Chengdu emerged on September 19, 2022 from a COVID-19 lockdown that had closed schools, disrupted businesses and forced residents to stay home for over two weeks.

With a population of 21 million, southwest China’s Chengdu is the largest Chinese city to shut down since global finance hub Shanghai imposed a strict two-month lockdown in April, leaving many residents scrambling for food.

China is the last major economy welded to a zero-COVID strategy and officials are under pressure to curb virus flare-ups swiftly ahead of a key political meeting in mid-October.

“With the joint efforts of the whole city, the epidemic has been effectively controlled,” the Chengdu government said in a statement.

Government departments, public transport services and companies were able to resume work on Monday, the statement said, after shutting down on September 1.

Chengdu will continue to conduct mass testing, and anyone who wants to enter a public area or take public transport will require a negative Covid test result within 72 hours -- similar to the rules in other large cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

Schools will re-open in an “orderly manner” and returning students will be strictly tested, the statement said.