In the ongoing corona lockdown in Shanghai, the USA is withdrawing non-essential staff from its consulate in the eastern Chinese port metropolis.
As a spokesman for the US embassy reported in Beijing on Tuesday, the diplomats and their families will depart on commercial flights.
The departure is therefore no longer a voluntary step for the diplomats, as was previously possible, but a service instruction.
"Our hiring change reflects our belief that it is best for our employees and their families to downsize and ramp down operations while we manage the changing circumstances on the ground."
Lockdown relaxed a bit
During the curfew for the 26 million inhabitants of the Chinese economic and financial center, which has sometimes lasted for two weeks, there have been loud complaints about insufficient food supplies, problems with medical care or the separation of infected children from their parents due to quarantine.
Despite a high number of infections, the city government eased the lockdown somewhat on Monday.
Neighborhoods in Shanghai are divided into three danger zones depending on the number of corona cases.
Some residents are therefore allowed to move freely again and others can at least leave their apartments, even if they have to stay within their residential complex.
However, where new infections have been discovered in the past seven days, residents must remain indoors.
Despite the zero-Covid strategy, China is experiencing the largest corona wave since the pandemic began two years ago.
The vast majority of cases were discovered in Shanghai.
Anyone who is infected in China has to go to a quarantine camp.
The Beijing Health Commission reported that almost 25,000 new infections were discovered nationwide on Monday.
More than 23,000 cases are asymptomatic.