Two-stage lockdown in Shanghai for mass testing

BEIJING • Shanghai said yesterday that it will lock down the city in two stages to carry out Covid-19 testing, to combat an outbreak that has seen it become China's biggest virus hot spot.

The city will first lock down areas east of the Huangpu River, which includes its financial district and industrial parks, for four days starting today.

Then the lockdown will start in the city's west for another four days, according to a statement from the local government yesterday.

Residents will be barred from leaving their homes, and public transport and car-hailing services will be suspended, while private cars will not be allowed on the roads unless necessary, the statement said. It also stressed that citizens' emergency medical needs must be guaranteed.

Shanghai became China's biggest coronavirus hot spot yesterday after reporting another record increase in daily Covid-19 infections.

The financial hub overtook the north-eastern province of Jilin, which yesterday reported 2,078 cases for Saturday.

Shanghai has 2,676 new infections, a jump of 18 per cent from a day earlier, according to data from the municipal health commission.

Covid-19 cases in Shanghai have kept hitting records in the past week, though a vast majority are asymptomatic. The city has seen infections grow rapidly in the past month, with buildings and apartment blocks locked down and residents confined at home.

More than 14 million Shanghai residents have undergone antigen testing, the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission said yesterday.

Medical staff immediately conducted nucleic acid tests on those who tested positive via the antigen screening, said Mr Wu Qianyu, an official with the commission, adding that control measures were taken before the results of the nucleic acid tests came out.

Shanghai on Saturday launched a new round of citywide screening using both nucleic acid and antigen testing to contain the Covid-19 outbreak. The antigen tests are designed to supplement nucleic acid tests in unearthing cases earlier.

With parts of the city sealed off and undergoing testing, frustrated residents are struggling to secure fresh food, while accessing medical care gets harder as select hospitals prioritise Covid-19 patients and close outpatient services.

Following the death of a Shanghai nurse from asthma last Wednesday after being turned away from the hospital, the city's authorities have vowed to ensure healthcare services for residents under lockdown.

Health facilities should not close or restrict access to departments including emergency rooms, fever clinics and intensive care units unless absolutely necessary, officials said on Saturday.

As a whole, China yesterday reported 5,550 local Covid-19 cases for Saturday.

BLOOMBERG, XINHUA