US orders consular to leave Shanghai amid COVID outbreak

BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. has ordered all non-emergency consular staff to leave Shanghai, which is under a lockdown to contain a COVID-19 surge. The State Department said the order is an upgrade from the “authorized” departure issued last week that made the decision voluntary. The order covers “non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members from U.S. Consulate General Shanghai.” In its late Monday announcement, the department said, “Our change in posture reflects our assessment that it is best for our employees and their families to be reduced in number and our operations to be scaled down as we deal with the changing circumstances on the ground.” China responded angrily to the earlier voluntary departure order.