China reopens one city as Shanghai lockdown enters a second phase

A resident wearing a mask walks past shadows of a tree in a park in Beijing (Ng Han Guan/AP)

The city of Shanghai is preparing to reopen its eastern half and shut its western half, while authorities elsewhere announced the lifting of a citywide lockdown in the province hit hardest by China’s omicron-driven coronavirus outbreak.

Residents of the city of Jilin will be able to move about freely starting from Friday for the first time in more than three weeks. They will be required to wear masks and, when indoors, stay one meter apart. Public gatherings in parks and squares are prohibited.