City neighborhood committees are imposing strict and arbitrary restrictions on movement, including limits on who can leave their apartment blocks and for how long, amid concerns about a spike in cases. The measures are sparking simmering frustrations as people push for the freedoms top city officials have promised, while local cadres fear repercussions if residents return home with an infection.
Nearly 85% of Shanghai residents, or 21 million people, live in wards or districts free of the virus, according to a tally released by the municipal government. These so-called “preventive” areas were supposed to have the lowest level of movement restrictions, allowing people to leave their apartment complexes and walk around their neighborhoods.
For millions of people, that is not happening. According to about a dozen city residents, many still face a variety of restrictions from their local committees. In some cases, they can only venture 20 meters – about the length of a bowling alley – from their housing complexes.
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