COVID-hit Shanghai to promote business resumption in stages

SHANGHAI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- China's financial hub Shanghai will gradually reopen businesses such as shopping malls, vegetable markets and hair salons from Monday after weeks of closed-off management to ward off COVID-19, the city's vice mayor told a media briefing Sunday.

Shanghai has been vigorously promoting the opening of business outlets and the return of personnel to ensure supply of daily necessities, said vice mayor Chen Tong.

Commercial outlets such as shopping malls, department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies will gradually resume in-store operations in an orderly manner, while vegetable markets and hair salons will gradually resume on-site business with limited capacity, Chen added.

The number of commercial outlets operating in the metropolis has increased from the lowest point of less than 1,400 to 10,625, with daily delivery orders hitting 5 million, Chen said.

Shanghai reported 166 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 1,203 local asymptomatic cases on Saturday.