Beijing starts to re-open after COVID outbreak

Most of Beijing's subway stations closed due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 reopened on Sunday, and shoppers returned to malls as the Chinese capital relaxed pandemic restrictions after declaring a small but persistent outbreak effectively under control.

The lockdowns and other restrictions under China's "zero-COVID" strategy have increasingly frustrated residents as they see other countries ease up and re-open their borders.

Apart from shops, Beijing also allowed public parks, gyms and cinemas to reopen on Sunday, all at 50% of their capacity. But restaurants remain closed in Beijing, except for takeout and delivery.

China recorded 293 new cases on Saturday, of which 78 were among people who had arrived from overseas.