Downtown parks to gradually reopen from June with limitations

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Downtown parks in Shanghai will gradually reopen from June, with limited capacity and shortened opening hours, the city's greenery and public sanitation bureau said.

Several parks in the outlying Fengxian and Jinshan districts have already reopened to the public as the pandemic wanes, while floral landscapes are being planned in landmark areas in Xuhui, Huangpu and Changning districts.

More outskirts parks will open between Sunday and the end of May, when the street landscapes will be fully restored.

From June 1, parks in downtown areas will gradually reopen in key areas and along major roads to other regions, said Zhu Xinjun, chief engineer of the bureau.

"These measures aim to meet the urgent demands of citizens to enjoy the natural environment and walk again in parks and greenbelts," Zhu said.

A cleaning and disinfection campaign has been launched at the parks to prepare for their grand reopening.

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However, indoor services and businesses, as well as entertainment facilities, at the parks will remain closed. Daily disinfection will include public toilets, seats, rails, garbage bins, roads, pavilions and other structures.

To gain entry to the parks, visitors must scan the venue code, show their green health code and receive temperature checks at the entrance.

The number of visitors will also be limited to half of the parks' full capacity. Their opening hours will be shortened and they will be closed at night.

Greenery maintenance staff will receive a PCR test and an antigen self-test every day from June 1.

Also, the city will continue the drive of public environment cleaning and disinfection as well as street cleaning as half of the cleaners have returned to work.

All of the city's public toilets will reopen by mid- to late June. Nearly 850 public toilets have alread reopened after full disinfection. Citizens must scan the venue code to use the facilities.

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