This is the biggest city-wide lockdown announced by Beijing ever since the Covid outbreak began more than two years ago.

The city of Shanghai will be locked down in two stages over nine days while authorities carry out Covid-19 testing, reports BBC.

Authorities so far did not impose a lockdown in Shanghai to avoid  destabilising the economy.

However, the move was made after Shanghai recorded its highest daily number of cases on Saturday.

Public transport will be suspended and firms and factories must halt operations or work remotely, authorities were quoted as saying by BBC.

Some Shanghai residents have complained about the seemingly endless cycles of testing, suggesting that the cost of zero-Covid had become too high, reports the British media.