The extreme measures are causing food shortages and disruptions in medical treatment.

(This April 5 story corrects final paragraph to say the 23 cities account for 22% of GDP, not 13.6%)

Patients sick with non-Covid related illnesses are being kept away from hospitals as anger grows over failure to control Omicron

The new iteration of the virus, isolated from a mild Covid-19 patient in a city less than 70 kilometres (43 miles) from Shanghai, evolves from the BA.1.1 branch of the omicron variant

Director of Shanghai's working group on epidemic control, Gu Honghui, was quoted by state media as saying that the outbreak in the city was 'still running at a high level'

The Chinese megacity where 26 million people are in an extended lockdown is facing a food supply shortage and residents' frustration is growing.