May 31, 2022: -Major Chinese cities Beijing and Shanghai, started to lift the Covid controls as the cases came down.

On Sunday, the number of recent cases with symptoms on the mainland decreased to 20, down from 54 before the day. The capital city of Beijing reported recent eight Covid cases as of Sunday, while Shanghai reported six cases.

The relaxation of restrictions started around two months after Shanghai ordered people to stay in their apartments for significant virus testing. Beijing city had started tightening Covid controls almost a month ago but has restrictions in some areas.

On Sunday, Shanghai authorities said businesses would mainly commence without applying for approval starting Wednesday. According to state media, a shopping area called Xintiandi was among those set to continue some offline operations on Wednesday.

The city further said a raft of measures to support businesses, particularly those with minimal layoffs. The city said it would give 10,000 yuan to an individual who switches to a battery-powered car to stimulate consumption.

On Sunday, Shanghai said that around 220,000 people remained subject to the most restrictive orders to stay at home and that over 22 million were allowed to venture out into the community.

Some major shopping centers in Beijing, such as a luxury mall that was shut due to Covid just a month, announced they would reopen on Sunday. An amusement park known as Happy Valley Beijing said it planned to resume its fun from Tuesday.

Ride-hailing and most public transport resumed in the central business area, while more people were allowed to return to work. Some libraries, museums, and gyms could reopen at half their capacity if no Covid cases were found at a community level in the past seven days.

However, restaurants in Beijing can still only operate on a takeout or delivery basis, with no customers dining inside. Middle and elementary schools remain closed.

After the latest Covid outbreak, both Shanghai and Beijing require a valid negative virus test to enter public areas. In Beijing, test results are only good for 48 hours, while Shanghai said beginning Wednesday, test results will be valid for 72 hours.