SHANGHAI (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - China’s financial hub of Shanghai reported on Monday (March 21) a record daily surge in local Covid-19 infections as authorities scrambled to test residents and rein in the Omicron variant, while the Disney resort closed until further notice.  

Shanghai reported 24 new domestically transmitted Covid-19 cases with confirmed symptoms for Sunday and another 734 local asymptomatic infections, official data showed on Monday.  

It is the fourth consecutive day of increase in Shanghai’s local asymptomatic infections.  

Although its tally of infections is tiny by global standards, Shanghai has quickly followed China’s policy of "dynamic clearance", shutting schools and testing residential compounds in the effort to limit the spread of the virus.  

The Shanghai Disney Resort will close from Monday until further notice, officials said on Sunday, citing the Covid-19 situation.  

Shanghai reported the surge in Covid-19 infections after expanding its mass testing programme, sparking concern the virus may be more widespread in the financial centre than previously thought.

 More than 200 cases are centred around the Pudong district, home to a bevy of domestic and international financial institutions and the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

The city last week ruled out imposing a broad lockdown, but officials said Monday that some areas will remain locked down for further testing. 

Including Shanghai infections, mainland China reported a total of 1,947 new locally transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms on Sunday, data from the National Health Commission showed, up from 1,656 a day earlier.  

The number of new local asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 2,384 up from 2,177 a day earlier.

The death toll was unchanged at 4,638, with no new deaths.  

By Sunday, mainland China had reported 132,226 cases with confirmed symptoms, both among locals and arrivals from outside.