Shanghai eases 2-week shutdown, letting some residents out

Some residents of Shanghai have been allowed out of their homes as the city of 25 million eases a two-week-old shutdown

BEIJING -- Some residents of Shanghai were allowed out of their homes Tuesday as the city of 25 million eased a two-week-old shutdown Tuesday after videos posted online showed what was said to be people who ran out of food breaking into a supermarket and shouting appeals for help.

The number of people who were allowed out wasn't immediately clear. The government said some markets and pharmacies also would reopen.

The abrupt closure of most businesses and orders to stay home left the public fuming about a lack of access to food and medicine. People who test positive for the virus have been forced into sprawling temporary quarantine facilities criticized by some as crowded and unsanitary.

Meanwhile, Washington set up a possible new clash with Beijing by announcing all “non-emergency U.S. government employees” would be withdrawn from its Shanghai Consulate while consular officers would stay. The Chinese government complained last week after the State Department said diplomats and their families could leave if they wanted.