COVID lockdown in Shanghai, China's largest city, will loosen in a few days: officials

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Shanghai will attempt to reopen in a few days after it has eliminated COVID-19 transmission, according to a city official.

Vice Mayor Wu Qing told reporters that the goal is to reach "elimination in society," with any new cases in people already in isolation.

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No specifics were provided other than that Shanghai plans to incrementally restore education, industrial production and medical services, though authorities there have made similar pledges before.

Residents line up for mass testing in a lockdown area in Jingan district in Puxi area of western Shanghai, Monday, April 4, 2022.  (AP Photo/Chen Si)

Shanghai was under international scrutiny last month as residents complained of shortages of critical medicine and food. 

The city, now in the seventh week of its lockdown, reported 2,096 new COVID-19 cases on Friday.

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Beijing, the nation's capital, reported 50 cases.

Authorities there have resisted sweeping lockdown measures, although restaurants and bars have been limited to takeout, and gyms are closed. 

A child gets swabbed during mass COVID test on Friday, May 13, 2022, in Beijing. ( (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan))

Subways were shuttered, and some residential communities have been confined. Residents have been warned to avoid travel between city districts.

In addition, access to some major tourist sites has also been curbed, with destinations operating at only partial capacity and closing indoor exhibition halls. 

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Cities in China have also moved to set up thousands of permanent PCR COVID-19 testing stations. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.