The Shanghai government says it is trying its best to improve the distribution of food and essential goods to locked-in residents, responding to growing public discontent as Covid-19 curbs stretch into the 11th day.

China's financial hub has fallen largely silent after the city imposed harsh movement restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19, with only healthcare workers, volunteers, delivery personnel or people with special permission allowed on the streets.

Authorities say that has whittled the number of couriers, who must keep the city's 26 million residents supplied, to just 11,000.

Read the full Reuters story here.

Workers wearing protective gear sort bags of vegetables and groceries on a truck to distribute them to residents at a residential compound during a Covid-19 lockdown in Shanghai. — Reuters
Workers wearing protective gear sort bags of vegetables and groceries on a truck to distribute them to residents at a residential compound during a Covid-19 lockdown in Shanghai. — Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...