On Tuesday, China's most populous city tightened the first phase of a two-stage COVID-19 lockdown, advising residents to remain indoors unless they are being tested, as the daily case count surpassed 4,400.
Shanghai's financial district, which has a population of 26 million, is in its second day of a lockdown imposed by authorities.
While Shanghai's caseload remains small by global standards - a record 4,381 asymptomatic cases and 96 symptomatic cases on Monday - the city has become a test bed for China's "zero-COVID" approach as the country attempts to contain the highly contagious Omicron form.
On Monday, residents east of the Huangpu were confined to their housing enclaves but were mainly able to walk freely within them.
However, three homeowners told Reuters on Tuesday that neighborhood committees had informed them they were no longer permitted to leave their homes.
Wu Qianyu, a municipal health commission official, told a briefing that residents had been given a "clear request" not to leave their residences, even to take their pets for a walk or to throw out trash, during "a critical stage of nucleic acid testing."
On China's social media, there were mounting signs of dissatisfaction, with scores of citizens flocking to the Weibo platform to seek assistance for relatives who were trying to receive medical treatment.
While China is adhering to its plan to contain the outbreak, international experts remain skeptical of lockdowns' usefulness in the face of a highly infectious new variant.
Shanghai's public security personnel disclosed they were closing cross-river bridges and highway tollbooths in the city's eastern district until April 1. However, shipping docks and the city's two airports remained open.
Drone footage aired by state media showed deserted streets beneath the city's Lujiazui business district's towers. Public transportation has been suspended in the east, and all unapproved cars have been forced off the road.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange, located in the western part of the city, said it had retained a skeleton workforce for critical operations while others work from home.
Residents in the city's west side have been stockpiling up at shops and markets in preparation for their April 1 lockdown.
However, Costco Wholesale Corp., whose Shanghai branch has attracted crowds of consumers in recent days, announced that it would close on Tuesday, along with several gyms and retail centers in western areas.
The local government announced new steps to assist businesses impacted by COVID, including rent exemptions and tax rebates.
