Tests to decide reopening

Shanghai authorities say new Covid-19 testing over the next few days will determine which neighbourhoods can safely start reopening, as Beijing resident watch carefully for word on whether the capital will lock down as well. China yesterday reported 14,222 new cases of coronavirus infection, the vast majority in people not showing symptoms. Shanghai residents would begin another round of testing over the next few days, and areas that achieved ‘‘societal zero Covid’’ could see some measure of limited freedom, said the vice-head of the city health committee, Zhao Dandan. China’s zero-Covid strategy is being tested by the country’s largest outbreak of the pandemic, which began in the central city of Wuhan in late December 2019. Shanghai’s lockdown began a month ago, and has taken a toll on residents confined to their homes. Meanwhile, Beijing is in the middle of mass testing millions of residents after discovering a cluster of cases last week.