Coronavirus: Shanghai begins easing ‘lockdown’ after mass re-testing – 04/09/2022

BEIJING – China’s largest city, Shanghai, will soon begin lifting a “lockdown” on communities not reporting positive cases within 14 days, after a new round of Covid-19 testing, officials said Saturday 9). In Guangzhou, northwest of Hong Kong, officials announced that the city will also begin mass testing its 18 million residents, according to CCTV radio.

Shanghai recorded about 23,000 cases on Saturday, most of them asymptomatic. Large parts of the city, which has a population of 26 million, have been under quarantine since March 28, prompting complaints from residents about shortages of food and other basic necessities.

Under the new measures, Vice Mayor Cong Ming said that areas in Shanghai will be classified as “precautionary”, “controlled” and “closed”, depending on the results of the latest round of testing.

Residents in areas considered “precautionary”, with no infections in the past two weeks, will be able to move around their area, although gatherings remain restricted. In “controlled” areas, residents can move around their neighborhoods, which are smaller than neighborhoods, while “closed” areas require everyone to stay indoors.

The city has built more than 100 temporary hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients, with more than 160,000 beds. But the strict restrictions on movement are also testing residents’ patience. Some received government food parcels containing meat and vegetables. However, many are struggling to get hold of rice and other basic commodities as online sellers have run out and delivery services have been unable to keep up with demand.

China is facing one of the worst domestic outbreaks since the beginning of the epidemic. It is one of the only countries to adhere to the “Covid Zero” policy, taking strict measures such as lockdown and mass testing to identify and isolate all cases. China remains closed to international travel, even as most of the world searches for ways to live with the virus. Source: Associated Press.