OPINION: Shanghai authorities were preparing to ease lockdown restrictions this week, three weeks after China’s biggest financial and commercial hub was brought to a standstill by the country’s zero-Covid policy.

However, offshore yards have not been included on a government-managed “white list” of activities and companies eligible for relief from full lockdown restrictions.

The Ministry of Industry & Information Technology said it would help more than 600 companies, including computer chip, automotive and medical manufacturers, to restart operations in Shanghai under a so-called closed-loop system, in which workers are allowed to live on-site for long periods in an environment that is in effect shut off from outsiders.