Shanghai COVID lockdown lifted for some, but millions remain trapped as China sticks to strict "zero-COVID" policy

Tokyo — The U.S. State Department has ordered all non-emergency consular staff to leave China's largest city, Shanghai, as the global business hub enters its third week of lockdown in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said it was ordering the departure because of the outbreak in Shanghai and as American diplomats had raised "concerns about the safety and welfare of U.S. citizens" in the city.

"It is best for our employees and their families to be reduced in number and our operations to be scaled down as we deal with the changing circumstances on the ground," a statement from the embassy said, according to The Associated Press.