Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏÍø

Late last night, we shared about the lockdowns in Pudong and Puxi on the SmSh WeChat platform. Unfortunately, our post contained a typo on the dates.

('Twas late. Emotions were running high. They sky was falling down all around us. ...Arg.)

WeChat has limited ability to edit articles once they've been sent out, and so we decided to delete the article so as to not cause or contribute to any confusion about the current happenings in Pudong, and the upcoming happenings in Puxi.

We did not get censored. It was us deleting the post. We sincerely apologize for our mistake.

So. Let's try this again. Here are the correct dates for the lockdowns.

Pudong: From 5am on March 28 to 5am on April 1.

Puxi: 3am on April 1 to 3am on April 5.

Wherever possible we try to link to the official sources. In most cases, this is the city government's own official WeChat account at 上海发布. We suggest everyone to follow that platform to stay informed during these difficult times. WeChat translate works very well -- it's right at the top of the posts -- and generally turns these articles in understandable English. Alternatively, Shine (AKA the Shanghai Daily) does a good job at bridging the gap between official announcements made in Chinese and an audience that requires that information filtered into English.

Also, if you have any questions regarding the lockdown you are encouraged by authorities to consult your neighborhood committee (居委会,jū wěi huì) or the city's hotline at 12345 (ext. 7). Store up some patience before you go down this route, however. They're, quite understandably, pretty busy these days.

"Do the lockdowns really include all of Pudong and Puxi?"

Yes. The Pudong lockdown includes everything east and south of the river including Chongming Island, Jinshan and Fengxian districts. Songjiang and Minhang districts are divided by the river into north and south part, which only the south part being included in the Pudong lockdown, and the north part included in the Puxi lockdown.

"What does a 'lockdown' mean? Can I leave my apartment? Can I walk around my compound?"

The official statement isn't absolutely clear on this point. It states "所有人员足不出户" ("all people have to stay inside their household"), but "household" could refer to someone's apartment and also their compound.

Stricly speaking, that you are supposed to stay in your apartment, and only leave it to pick up deliveries from your compound gate.

So, what about walking dogs or kids playing in the public areas of compounds? This is being interpreted differently by each compound. Basically, they'll tell you, if you don't already know or haven't figured it out from a previous lockdown you've already been through. Our colleagues that are already in lockdown in Pudong have stated that they are allowed to walk around their compound freely and the same has been the case for locked down compounds in Puxi.

"What should I do in a medical emergency?"

If you have an emergency, you can call 120. They will be able to arrange an ambulance and take you to a nearby hospital. When we called, we asked the operator if they spoke English. They asked us to wait for a minute, and someone else came on the call who was able to speak English, this was our experience.

For non-life-threatening emergencies and medical situations -- pregnancies and ongoing medical treatments -- you should consult with your neighborhood committee and they will arrange transportation to a hospital if needed. If you have an ongoing medical situation, you should really consult with your neighborhood committee to make sure you're all on the same page with getting you what you need.

For minor medical issues, a lot of hospitals now also offer online consultations with doctors. SinoUnited's online consultation is free of charge, The information for Shanghai United Family hospitals . For Jiahui's online consulting services

If you are not already connected with your Neighborhood Committee, call the Shanghai Helpline 12345 (ext 7) and they will help to make sure you get connected with them.

"Why four days?"

We couldn't find any official explanation, however, as we reported a few days ago, the city now acknowledges that Omicron has a shorter incubation period of three days, so that the majority of infected cases should be able to be identified through PCR tests within three days after infection.

"So, I should be stocking up on groceries?"

Yes. You should. It's suggested that you stock up before the lockdown starts. During the lockdown, grocery stores will be open and you can only order online. We've compiled a list of online supermarkets here.

Online grocers are dealing with heavy demand for their services. For most of the platforms on this list, it takes a bit of effort to get your orders through, depending on the time of day you do it. Be patient and plan ahead. Expect interruptions. As of this writing on March 28, the Puxi branch of Costco has had to close until further notice. We're expecting them back open soon but yeah: plan ahead and be patient.

"What about flights? Will the airports be closed?"

In the from the local government, they state that the airports in Pudong and Puxi will remain fully operational. A quick check on FlighRadar, however, shows that a large number of flights inbound and outbound are currently cancelled. If you have a flight ticket, check with your airline first. We have the full list of airline offices here.

"I have a valid flight ticket from Pudong airport. But they've discontinued taxis, Didis, and metros?"

Yes. They have. We called the city's hotline at 12345 and they confirmed that if you want to travel to the airports, it is best to take the city airport Shuttle Busses which are still operating. Only line 1 and 8 are currently suspended. The schedule might be outdated, a colleague that took the bus last week mentioned that there's currently one bus every hour.

Here's the shuttle information as of March 28, 12pm, taken from the :

They further explain that if you are in an area that is locked down you need to first get approval from your neighborhood committee to leave your compound. They also state that if you have a fever, don't leave your house. Notify your neighborhood committee and they will send a community doctor to you.

"I live in Puxi. Can I fly out to Sanya before the lockdown?"

Short answer: It depends on whether or not you live in a medium-risk area.

Long answer: Hainan requires that anyone with an asterisk (*) on their travel code -- this currently includes everyone in Shanghai -- must show proof of two negative PCR tests within 48 hours of departure. The tests must be taken within 24 hours of each other, so you can't just take two tests in the same day. Another test will be taken upon arrival at the airport in Sanya.

If you are traveling from a medium risk area, you will need to quarantine for 14 days total upon arrival in Sanya. The first 7 days will be at a quarantine center and the remaining will be home quarantine and self-monitoring.

Hotels in Hainan also require proof of a negative PCR test within 48 hours of check in. Call ahead to check if they will accept guests from Shanghai as the PCR test is still not enough to guarantee you won't be turned away at the door of some hotels.

Lastly, if you still want to book a trip to Sanya after all this, make sure that your flight is departing from Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) as you will not be able to take the metro, taxi, DiDi, or even ferry to get to Pudong from Puxi during this time.

"With so many hospitals closed, where can I still get a Covid test?"

Biotecan has two locations in Puxi (here and here) that are not attached to hospitals, so they aren't affected by hospital closures. You can just show up, but need to register through (BIOTECAN) before you do the test. Their service is in English and you'll also get English-language test results (usually within 12 hours). Their results will also show in Health Cloud app.

You can also search for Covid test site by location on the Health Cloud app.

"What about restaurants? Can I still get delivery?"

As of this writing, that's still up in the air as each venue tries to sort out their own situation vis-a-vis locked down employees and whether they are even allowed to open or not. Speaking with venue owners today, most are trying to figure it out and can't say for sure yet. Looking over at what is happening in Pudong, a huge amount of restaurants are closed but some are open and offering delivery services. We'd expect the same sort of situation in Puxi. Some will find a way to stay open, most will not. Be prepared.

"I'm currently staying at a hotel. Am I locked in too?"

We called a few hotels. All of them asked not to be mentioned, so there seems to be a lot of uncertainty with the official policy. The overall response was that guests can leave before the lockdown starts and cancel their reservations at no cost.

However, guests can not leave during the lockdown. As to whether guests will have to pay for extended stays, it seems the individual hotels are setting their own mandates. Some are making you pay for extra days, some aren't. SmSh spoke with guests currently staying in hotels in Pudong. Generally, they're able to walk freely inside the hotel.

"Do I need to continue paying my ayi during the lockdown?"

If you can, you should. Most likely you are a lot less financially affected than you ayi. However, strictly legally speaking you don't have to. In the working relationships between two individuals, as opposed to a worker and a company, the law leaves it up to the individuals to accept their own arrangements. Popular Ayi agency Ayi Matchmakers has a few suggestions on when and what to pay here. The following is their own suggestions on the matter:

Full-time ayis:

• Ayi is in lockdown and not able to work, please pay her salary for the first 2 days of her absence. The remaining days of her isolation, you can refrain from paying her.
• If your family is forced into lockdown, you can offer your ayi to live at your accommodation during the lock-down, and she gets paid in full during that period (and works the usual hours).
• If ayi does not wish to live in during the lockdown, she does not get paid.
• If your family does not wish for ayi to come to your house, please pay her half her salary during the lockdown period.

Part-time Ayi

• If either party is forced into lockdown, ayi will not work.
• If ayi is forced into lockdown, you can refrain from paying her.
• If your family is forced into lockdown, we suggest you pay her her usual salary.

"What happens if my visa expires during the lockdown?"

Based on (EEB) on March 18, 2022, they are affording people a grace period during this time and not issuing penalties for expired visas.

***