SHANGHAI: Residents of China’s commercial capital of Shanghai scrambled on Thursday to stock up groceries as they braced for a lockdown in the city’s western areas to stop the spread of COVID-19, while authorities appealed for continued compliance with curbs.

The city, home to 26 million people, is in the fourth day of a two-stage lockdown divided between the historic centre west of the Huangpu River and the financial and industrial district of Pudong in the east. Public transport in western areas will halt, with residents confined to their homes from 3 a.m. on Friday (1900 GMT Thursday).

In central Shanghai, vegetable sellers and butchers hawked their wares from behind barriers and on sidewalks. Restaurants hoping to cut losses advertised deep discounts through chat groups on social media.

“Lockdown super deal! 50% off on steaks”, advertised a pamphlet from a high-end steak house.

The two-stage lockdown began on Monday in eastern districts, where the curbs are to be lifted at 5 a.m. on Friday. But some residents told Reuters they could be asked to stay in longer, especially as the number of new infections keeps rising.

Authorities would decide how to lift the first stage of lockdown on the basis of testing results and advice from experts, city government official Ma Chunlei told a daily news conference.

Shanghai’s daily tally of infections eased for the first time in about two weeks, authorities said on Thursday. It reported 5,298 locally transmitted new asymptomatic cases and 355 symptomatic cases for Wednesday, versus corresponding figures of 5,656 and 326 the previous day. Shanghai makes up almost 80% of local asymptomatic cases across China for Wednesday, and about 20% of those with symptoms.