Tell me why the world is weird: Lockdown Diaries: I Went Out!

Shoppers at a recently-reopened mall in Shanghai. Image source.

Posts about the covid outbreak in Shanghai, China:

Complete list is here: Index of Posts About the March 2022 Shanghai Covid Outbreak

One of the responses to the my 2022 Reader Survey included a suggestion that the most recent lockdown post should be at the top of the list. Lololol, I guess when I started this series I didn't realize there would be so many posts. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion, and the 2022 Reader Survey is still open (until June 30, 2022) so please go ahead and take it if you haven't already.

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Here's the updated timeline:

March 16-21: First lockdown. 6 days.

March 23-now: Second lockdown. 68 days and counting.

On May 26, our apartment complex allowed us to go out, with A LOT of restrictions. (So I'm still counting it as being in lockdown.) So, total time we weren't allowed out AT ALL was 65 days (March 23 - May 26). I first went out on May 28.

Mass testing:

Nucleic acid tests (conducted by baymax, ie, the workers in white hazmat suits): 33 times (March 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 26, 28, 30, April 4, 6, 9, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 29, May 2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27)
Antigen self-tests: 32 times (April 2, 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 [twice], 15, 16, 22, 23, 25, 28 [twice], 30, May 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 29)

(The above info is specific to our apartment complex. Other apartment complexes in Shanghai will have a similar situation but not exactly the same.)

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I went out!

Exciting news! On Saturday, May 28, I went out and saw the world! We had received passes on May 26 that allow 1 person per household to go out, for 2 hours, twice during the period May 26-31. And on May 28, I used the pass. Yay!

SO EXCITING!

Part 1: The area around my apartment

I went to the main gate of our apartment complex, they told me to scan the location code for our complex (this registers my information to show where I have been- I talked about the location codes in my May 21 post), and they wrote on my pass the time that I was going out (because I have to be back within 2 hours).

Wow, walking through that gate, out into the world. It was so strange! It was like, when you're in a movie theater, and the movie ends, and you get up and walk out the door, outside into the sunlight and into the regular world, coming out of the darkness of the movie theater and the fictional world you've been experiencing for the past few hours. Like suddenly, there it is, there's the real world.

Walking down the street, singing Rihanna's song "Only Girl in the World" in my head.

My main objective was to walk around and see what society is like now. I wasn't planning to go to any grocery stores for supplies. Just gather intel.

There were a few people on the streets, also a few cars, and people riding their electric bikes, and normal bikes.

The first big thing I noticed was that now, every single store has a location code (场所码) posted on the door. This is a QR code that you have to scan with the Alipay app on your phone, which will link it to your health code. Every single store, every single apartment complex gate, they all have one now. Even stores that are not open yet. Every single one.

Most things were closed, but there was a convenience store open, and I went in to look for some things we needed. I scanned the location code on the door first. Some shelves were well-stocked, and some shelves were totally empty. They didn't have any yogurt at all, for example. Seems like even though stores and restaurants are reopening, their supply chains aren't all in place yet, so some products are missing.

When I went to the counter to buy things at the convenience store, I panicked for a second because I had forgotten how to use the Alipay (支付宝) app to pay for things! It's been 2 months! But then I remembered and it was all good.

For some restaurants in the area, the front door was open, and you could see employees inside, but clearly it wasn't open for customers yet. (The lights were off, the tables were all stacked to the side, that kind of thing.) I think these restaurants are probably open for pickup/delivery, but not for indoor dining.

I also walked to a grocery store, and there was a VERY LONG line. So I didn't bother trying to go in.

Part 2: The subway

Then I realized, the subway is running! Wow! Actually, 4 subway lines have resumed running: lines 3, 6, 10, and 16. The others are not running. This is super interesting to me, because, fun fact: Lines 3 and 10 are entirely in Puxi, and lines 6 and 16 are entirely in Pudong. (Puxi is the half of Shanghai west of the Huangpu River, Pudong is the half of Shanghai east of the Huangpu River.) Most other subway lines cross the river; they can take you from Puxi to Pudong. I guess they don't really want people crossing the river yet, so they are only opening the ones that are contained entirely in one side or the other.

So, lucky for me, the subway station near my apartment is open! Wow! I was a bit nervous- is the security guard going to ask me where I'm going and why? Is everyone allowed to take the subway, or do you need a "good reason"? I watched a few other people go in- the security guard told them they had to scan the location code for the subway station, and that was it- the security guard didn't ask any other questions or anything.

So I scanned the location code, the security guard let me through, then I panicked for a moment because I had totally forgotten how to scan my subway card (it's been 2 months...), then remembered I have an app on my phone for the subway card, and scanned that, and went right in.

Wow! The subway!

I had to wait for a while- right now the subways are only running every 20 minutes. In normal times, it would be less than 5 minutes between trains.

When I got on the subway, there were some people but not many- everyone had a whole bench to themself. And there were A LOT of people with suitcases. Maybe half the people on the subway had suitcases. A lot of people from other Chinese cities have been stuck in Shanghai for 2 months, and are now going to the train station to get out.

Part 3: Area around the subway station where I got off

I rode the subway for a few stops, and got off at a station where you can transfer to a different line. Except, turns out you can't, because the other subway line at that station wasn't open yet. (That's when I found out that only lines 3, 6, 10, and 16 are running.) So I just exited the subway station there, and walked around a bunch to investigate the area.

There was a grocery store there, with a line all the way down the block. There were a bunch of restaurants open for pickup/delivery only- they had set up tables to block the doors, because they weren't allowing customers to enter. You can stand at the door and tell them what you want. This is different from the convenience store I went to in the area near my apartment- I totally went in that store.

And again, every single store had a location code on the door.

There were a lot of people walking around in that area. I saw children too- for our complex, only 1 person per household is allowed to go out, so seems like children wouldn't be able to go because they can't go alone- but I guess for other complexes, they have different rules.

And then I had to hurry up and go home because I was only allowed to be out for 2 hours.

Part 4: Overall

Well, I was so tired out from walking around. These 2 months being in lockdown, I haven't done much walking or exercise at all. My husband keeps saying that when we're out of lockdown, he wants to go to Disneyland, but gosh, Disneyland requires so much walking, and I can't even walk a normal amount without feeling exhausted.

Yeah definitely have to do some more walking and exercise.

But overall, wow, it was amazing. It was AMAZING. The world! Wow!

Also, I didn't get stopped or questioned by any police or anything. I had heard stories from some of the few lucky people who got let out of lockdown for a few days, several weeks ago, that there had been checkpoints on the roads and police asking where you're going. I didn't see anything like that when I went out- I guess they stopped doing that. Also the barriers on the roads seem to have all been removed. Yay!

Definitely want to go out again! But my most recent nucleic acid test was on the morning of May 27, and to enter a store or subway station you have to have a negative nucleic acid test result from the past 48 hours, so it's "expired" now and I would be very limited in where I could go. Also, it's my husband's turn next- like I said, we are only allowed to send out 1 person at a time, 2 times total. (And then on June 1 they might give us a new set of passes, we don't know.) So it's his turn.

Restaurants reopening

We are starting to see more restaurants available on Meituan (美团), a food delivery app. Last night my husband and I didn't feel like cooking, so we got something delivered. So convenient! The restaurant didn't have all the choices it normally has, probably because they don't have access to all the ingredients they need yet. But wow! It was great! We ordered food!

(These past 2 months in lockdown, we've had to cook all our own food from the raw vegetables we get in our vegetable mystery bags. And I mean raw- they still got dirt on them and everything.)

So things are getting better and better.

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Supposedly June 1 we will be let out with no restrictions

Today on WeChat, there was a rumor that on June 1, everyone in Shanghai will be allowed out of lockdown (unless you are in a "medium risk" or "high risk" area- yeah they are going back to the old system of "low/medium/high risk areas", rather than "locked down/ controlled/ precautionary areas").

It doesn't seem to be from an official source. We'll see. The official Shanghai government account has been posting things about their plan to get businesses open again and people back to work on June 1. But that is not exactly the same thing as saying we'll all be out of lockdown on June 1.

I know that in some places in Shanghai, people already are allowed out with no restrictions. No need for passes, no limits on the number of people per household, no limits on the time. I heard this on May 27 from someone in Fengxian, which is wayyyy out there, way far from the city center. I don't think I've ever been to Fengxian, it's very far. Still a part of Shanghai, though.

Also, and this is from the official Shanghai government WeChat account, so I know it's true: They are changing the nucleic acid test requirement from 48 hours to 72 hours. To enter public places, you will need a negative nucleic acid test from within the past 72 hours.

This makes a lot more sense than 48 hours. Honestly, 48 hours was kind of ridiculous- because it's measured from the time your sample is taken. It takes 6-12 hours to actually get your result. In practical terms, it would mean you'd have to get tested every day, if you wanted to always have a valid result from the past 48 hours.

72 hours is much better. And hopefully they will change it to 7 days eventually- I have heard that other cities have a 7-day rule.

Feels so weird, things getting back to normal. Like I will have to re-learn how to live life out of lockdown.

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Anfu Road party

On May 28, I saw videos shared on WeChat of a big outdoor party on Anfu Road (I guess it happened on the night of May 27). Lots of people standing around in groups without masks. In some of the videos you can see a lot of white people, so apparently some Chinese people on social media are being racist about it and saying "foreigners aren't following the rules."

Uh yeah, having a big gathering without masks, while most of Shanghai is still in lockdown, is NOT COOL. Also there were a lot of Chinese people at the party too; I feel like you can't get a sense of the overall demographics from just a few videos. Not cool to jump to conclusions and "blame it on the foreigners."

But yeah, it's not the time for a maskless party.

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Graph

Oh I'm so happy, I found a graph of the covid cases in Shanghai during this outbreak. See, I feel like I haven't been able to give you readers a good sense of how the number of covid cases went up to scary big numbers but now has been going down for a while.

Click the image to see the full-size version. Image source.

Graph title = 上海市3月以来每日疫情数据 Translation: Daily pandemic data for Shanghai, starting in March

X-axis is the date- from March 16 to May 27.

Yellow = 新增阳性（本士确诊病例+无症状感染者-转归）Translation: New positive cases (local confirmed cases + asymptomatic infected people - converted)

(The "converted" means people that were initially reported as asymptomatic and then later became symptomatic. So they get subtracted so as not to count them twice- otherwise they would be counted once on the date they were reported as asymptomatic, and a second time on the date they were reported as converted to symptomatic. But also, see note below about the definition of "asymptomatic.")

In other words, the yellow line is the number of new covid cases reported each day.

Green = 风险人群排查中发现 Translation: Discovered during screening of at-risk groups

Okay I don't know what that means- I guess it means cases discovered among people who were already in quarantine due to being a close contact of a known covid case? I'm basically just going to ignore the green line, I don't think it's important.

Anyway, look at the yellow line. That shows how the number of cases every day increased for a while, to a peak of 27,605 in mid-April, and now it's been decreasing for a while. At this point, we have somewhere around 200 new cases per day, and decreasing.

Important notes about this graph:

The definition of "asymptomatic": Asymptomatic does not mean asymptomatic. The way the city of Shanghai is defining it, asymptomatic means you don't have symptoms of pneumonia. You may have other symptoms, like sore throat, cough, fever, etc, but it hasn't gotten serious enough to go down into your lungs. "Wait," you might be saying to yourself, "that doesn't sound asymptomatic at all!" Well, yes, I agree with you! (Apparently other Chinese cities are using more logical definitions of "asymptomatic" than Shanghai. In Shanghai's data- you can't see it from this graph though- about 90% of the covid cases are classified as "asymptomatic." If you see other Chinese cities with a completely different ratio than that, they are probably using a different definition.)
This doesn't matter for this graph though, because they added the symptomatic and asymptomatic cases together anyway.
Delay in reporting. I wouldn't really put much stock in the details of the shape of the graph- the rate at which it rises, the date where it reached the peak- because there is a delay between when a person tests positive, and when they get reported in the official data. The case is counted in the statistics on the day the person was brought to a quarantine center- and it could be a delay of several days or even a week. (When the number of cases was rising fastest, there was the biggest delay.) The slope of the graph really tells us more about Shanghai's ambulance capacity than the actual rate that the disease spreads.

The graph doesn't show the number of deaths: so far during this outbreak, there have been 588 deaths from covid in Shanghai.

If I was more cynical, I would say "you're not going to see this in western media. Zero-covid works." This lockdown has been a disaster, and I hope the Shanghai government will be held accountable for how badly they ****ed it up, but it's looking like we're really going to come out of it into happy and free zero-covid life. Maybe with more rules than we had before the lockdown, though. (Like the requirement to have a 72-hour negative covid test.)

Well, "happy and free" remains to be seen. But yes, before the lockdown, we'd been "happy and free" for 2 years while the rest of the world saw hundreds of thousands of people die, saw politicians say that it's okay if people with "underlying conditions" die, had to live in fear of going out in public, politicized basic health measures like masks and vaccines... None of that happened in China. We had to wear masks in public, and traveling is difficult or impossible, but other than that, we'd been fine.

Also, the Shanghai lockdown is BAD. The Shanghai lockdown is comparable to the Wuhan lockdown in early 2020, that's how bad it is. No other lockdown in China has been as bad as Wuhan and Shanghai. Many Chinese cities really have been "happy and free" this whole time.

So next time you see an article in western news media that makes it sound like ALL OF CHINA is having these problems, you'll know that's bullshit.

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Links:

Sixth Tone

A Community Worker’s Account of Life on the COVID-19 Frontline (May 27)

Staff at Temporary Pet Shelter Bid Farewell To Four-legged Friends (May 27)

SHINE

Angel 'aunties' nurture home-alone boy through 40 days of lockdown (May 27) I guess this is supposed to be a heart-warming story, but really it just makes you realize how ****ed up it was that this 12-year-old boy was left home alone during the lockdown.

Citizens returning from outside city can't be barred from their homes (May 27)

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Next post: Lockdown Diaries: Shanghai Lockdown Ends June 1!

Tell me why the world is weird

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Sunday, May 29, 2022

Lockdown Diaries: I Went Out!

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