What’s new: Shanghai, half of which is currently under lockdown, is trying to keep its local economy running through a slate of new measures including one that encourages the import of Covid-19 vaccines and drugs.
The policy’s goal is to ensure the city can continue to run normally as it battles its worst outbreak of Covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to a statement (link in Chinese) published Tuesday by the local government.
According to the statement, Shanghai will further build up its reserves of supplies to battle the virus, ramp up testing capacity and the construction of centralized isolation facilities, and offer support for importing Covid vaccines and antiviral drugs.
Other policies include those for propping up businesses. The measures include credit support, tax and fee cuts and rent reductions for small businesses that lease state-owned properties, according to the statement.
The background: The statement was published just one day after the city of 25 million entered a two-phase citywide lockdown as local Covid infections continued to rise, driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.
Shanghai reported nearly 6,000 new local cases Tuesday, taking the overall tally since March 1 to more than 26,000, health authorities said.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaellbellart@caixin.com)
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