Shanghai once again tightened its restrictions and reintroduced lockdowns citing that deaths and hospitalisations among severe Covid-19 cases were increasing.
Shanghai earlier allowed people in areas with lesser positivity rate and less infections to move about around their neighbourhoods but later reversed the plan partially. The local authorities have also made RT-PCR tests mandatory in areas with high infection rates.
China recorded 24,411 new Covid-19 cases with 21,423 cases being asymptomatic on Saturday and recorded 12 deaths. The deaths, according to the Chinese National Health Commission, were all from Shanghai. China counts asymptomatic cases separately.
A report by Nikkei Asia said that delivery workers for online shopping and other services will have to undergo daily RT-PCR tests along with two antigen tests.
Shanghai authorities said that the lockdown would be lifted in batches when virus transmissions outside quarantined areas are eliminated. They said that the city is entering ‘a key phase of stamping out Covid infections within residential communities’, according to a Global Times report.
The Shanghai authorities also signalled that they will not budge from the zero-Covid policy which Chinese president Xi Jinping said the nation would adhere to despite criticism. The officials said that a ‘more forceful approach to implement a zero-COVID strategy across all aspects’ will be implemented. Earlier on Thursday while addressing the annual Boao Forum for Asia, he said that societies need to implement tougher measures to defeat Covid.
“We need to work together to defend people’s lives and health. Safety and health are the prerequisite for human development and progress. For humanity to clinch a final victory against the COVID-19 pandemic, more hard efforts are needed,” Xi Jinping said via a video link.
However, concerns also arose that Beijing could see lockdowns as it witnessed several outbreaks, involving multiple transmission chains, Global Times said while quoting a health official. The Chinese capital city’s health officials said that the elderly and schoolchildren were among those infected with Covid.
Cai Qi, Beijing’s Party chief, also held a meeting with officials to discuss the possibilities of an outbreak and how to contain it. Beijing recorded more than 10 cases of Covid-19 and following the outbreak has the Beiwu village in suburban Beijing’s Shunyi district’s residents have been asked to quarantine while officials were dispatched to Shunyi and Chaoyang districts.
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