Shanghai allows 4 million out of homes as virus rules ease

By JOE McDONALD
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — A health official says 4 million more people in Shanghai have been allowed to leave their homes as coronavirus quarantine rules ease. The official, Wu Ganyu, said a total of almost 12 million people have been allowed to leave their homes as China’s largest city tries to contain virus outbreaks. Authorities confined most of Shanghai’s 25 million people to their homes starting March 28 following a surge in infections. China’s case numbers in its latest infection surge are relatively low, but the ruling Communist Party is enforcing a “zero-COVID” strategy that has shut down major cities to isolate every case.