Principal Feng told Reuters the school had a psychological guidance team to assist students during the isolation of online classes, but that could never be a substitute for being reunited with friends and teachers in person.

Some students said they were not daunted and had become used to pandemic prevention measures, which had become the new normal in public spaces in Shanghai.

The city's information office said it had helped overseas journalists conduct a number of interviews since January, organizing earlier media tours focusing on the supply of pandemic prevention materials, novel coronavirus pneumonia treatment, the resumption of work and production, and the "cloud lifestyle" and cloud economy. Journalists from 129 overseas media outlets have joined the tours.

Since early February, Shanghai's municipal government has been updating its daily press briefing on the pandemic in English, French, Japanese and Korean on the website of its Foreign Affairs Office.