Thread by @DRechts

Flying out from Pudong airport today. Made a perilous escape from Shanghai. We were working from home Tuesday afternoon when we suddenly got a call from our compound manager, who knew we were flying out Friday, saying we had better get out ASAP.

She hinted our street in Jing'an was about to go into lockdown. We didn't think too much of it but began packing so we would be ready to go if a notification came (they normally notify you several hours before implementing the lockdown).

After we packed we went out for our mandatory 6 pm COVID test. Our compound manager saw us, pulled us out of line, hissed "Go now! Get out before midnight" So we ran home, I packed everything else up, found a hotel and took our suitcases there.

Wife had a couldn't miss business dinner, so she went while I moved our stuff to hotel. One hour later Shanghai formally announced shutting our entire citywide block at midnight for 14 days (our flight was in two days) because of a single COVID case three blocks away (!!!).

Wife left dinner, sprinted home, handed cats off to prearranged cat sitter, and left for hotel with 30 mins to spare. As she left, neighbors poured onto street with suitcases, all headed to hotels. (None of our compounds EVER had cases, and we just went through a 61-day lockdown)

Entire citywide block locked down at midnight, all for a case several blocks over. We hid out in a hotel nearby airport for following three days. All this for a single case three blocks over. On Friday, we made it to airport and flew home to see family for first time since COVID.

Never really liked our compound manager but she clearly received the lockdown notice in advance and told us, knowing we were headed back home to see family on Friday. She skirted protocol and warned us to ensure we made it home.

Our neighbors, too, saw the lockdown notice and told us to get out asap. They wished us safe voyage and offered to help us clean our apartment. It was so evident how closeknit our little community, which we had barely known before March, had become during the two-month lockdown.

So many nameless heroes who did a very nice thing for us. This zero COVID policy has hurt so many people. So many kids on the street when we left getting dragged to hotels so they wouldn't lock down for an additional two weeks. All for what? A case three blocks over.

Hoping Shanghai regains its confidence in the months we're away. It's an amazing city, filled with excellent people. But right now everything is being directed by Beijing and everyone is miserable. There's constant low-level anxiety that comes from constant threat of lockdowns.

Safe travels! Only five flights out of this "international" airport today. Hopefully things get back to normal soon.