Explainer | Coronavirus: how China’s strict Covid-19 control measures have evolved over the past 5 months from Shanghai to Shenzhen

Shenzhen, southern China’s technology hub, over the weekend imposed its strictest Covid-19 lockdowns across the city since the metropolis was sealed off for a week in March, raising the spectre of an extended isolation akin to what Shanghai went through in April and May.

That action reflects the continued enforcement of China’s dynamic zero-Covid-19 strategy, which includes curbs that are often draconian and frequent – from stay-at-home directives to school and business closures – over the past five months.

At present, dozens of cities across the country have imposed lockdowns and travel restrictions across their communities. These measures vary from what Shenzhen currently runs, which allows communities without any new confirmed coronavirus cases to be at their normal state, to Shanghai’s previous citywide lockdown. The latest lockdown in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan province and home to a population of more than 20 million, bears some resemblance to how Shanghai was sealed off.

Here are some key points on how Covid-19 control measures were implemented in Shenzhen and Shanghai, and how these affected people’s everyday lives in the two megacities.