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Daniel Ren

Holly Chik

Shanghai has stepped up mass Covid-19 testing as the local government struggles to contain a coronavirus outbreak.
All citizens were told to carry out rapid antigen tests on Sunday before citywide nucleic acid testing the following day – the largest exercise of its kind in China’s biggest economic hub.
“At present we are pushing ahead with a new round of nucleic tests that are targeted at eradicating high-risk transmission points, cutting transmission chains and stopping the spread of the infections,” Wu Qianyu, a senior Shanghai health commission official, said on Sunday.
“We are trying to achieve a dynamic zero-Covid goal as soon as possible.”
Shanghai’s heightened Covid-19 measures leave patients without treatment
Shanghai reported 8,226 new infections, most of them asymptomatic, on Sunday, bringing the total number of Covid-19 infections since the start of the current outbreak on March 1 close to 52,000.
Meanwhile the northeastern province of Jilin, another area badly hit by the virus, recorded 4,455 new cases, bringing the nationwide total to 13,146.
In Changchun, the provincial capital of Jilin, health authorities said in a letter to residents on Sunday that they would impose zero-Covid measures over the next five days with the aim of reaching dynamic zero-Covid in the whole community as soon as possible. They did not provide details of what these measures would entail.
Meanwhile in Suzhou, a city less than two hours drive west of Shanghai, health authorities said they had detected a new mutation of the Omicron variant that was not identified in local or international databases, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.


Shanghai’s new testing strategy was announced after a visit by Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan, who called for prompt and efficient mass screening to outpace the spread of the Omicron variant.
Sun, who left Jilin for Shanghai on Saturday, said it was a huge challenge to fight the Omicron outbreak while maintaining the normal operation of the city’s core functions.
“[Local authorities should] impose strict closed-loop management for key industries and institutions to ensure their normal operation and the smooth running of supply and industry chains,” she said, according to Xinhua.
She also asked the megacity to step up contact tracing, prepare isolation and treatment facilities, make sure residents’ medical needs were met and ensure the public could be provided with necessities.
Residents have previously complained about being turned away from hospitals because of strict containment measures and of difficulties ordering fresh food online.
Shanghai has already imposed a de facto citywide lockdown since Friday, with most residents confined to their homes.


Only a tiny number of manufacturing sites and service providers are allowed to keep running under a “closed-loop” system – which means workers effectively have to live at their factories or offices to keep operations running.
Wu said medical and Covid-19 testing teams from neighbouring parts of the country have arrived in the city to support its antivirus campaign.
The public health authorities said all positive cases would be transferred to designated hospitals or quarantine sites – ending speculation that some cases would be placed under home quarantine.
Wu, from the Shanghai health commission, said the city was building more temporary hospitals to accommodate Covid-19 patients and major exhibition sites, including the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre and Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), are being turned into temporary hospitals and quarantine centres.
Chinese cleaner sleeps in public toilet in lockdown, cleans it for locals without loos
The temporary hospitals are used to treat patients with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic.
The World Expo centre, built in 2010, is now home to a 6,000-bed temporary hospital, while SNIEC can hold about 14,000 patients.
Last Sunday, Shanghai announced that it would impose a two-phase lockdown, sealing off Pudong – the area on the east side of the Huangpu River – from Sunday to Friday before shutting down Puxi, the area to the west, between Friday and April 5.

But only a small number of residential compounds and commercial areas in Pudong classified as low-risk were allowed to reopen on Friday.
The district is a linchpin of China’s economy and hosts the country’s biggest stock exchange, major ports, the city’s main airport, Tesla’s massive Gigafactory 3 and the flagship factory of mainland China’s largest chip maker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation.


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Coronavirus China

Shanghai orders Covid-19 tests for all 25 million residents in bid to contain outbreak

The Shanghai New International Expo Centre has been turned into a mass quarantine site. Photo: Xinhua via AP

Near deserted streets in the Puxi area of Shanghai on Saturday. Photo: Bloomberg

Coronavirus: Shanghai extends lockdown for areas where cases are found

A police officer in protective gear blocks a Shanghai street where food rations are distributed. Photo: EPA-EFE

Shanghai’s small businesses and their staff scramble to minimise losses as Covid-19 lockdown delivers huge blow to revenues

The phased lockdown is expected to scupper the 5.5 per cent economic growth target set by the Shanghai government early this year. Photo: EPA-EFE

A barricade in front of a sealed-off area, following the latest coronavirus outbreak in Shanghai. Photo: Reuters

Shanghai lockdown: city’s gateway status under threat as passenger flights and air freight are grounded at Pudong’s airport amid Covid-19 tests

A ‘no entry’ sign stands on the street while the Pearl of the Orient Tower, one of Shanghai’s most famous landmarks, stands in the background in Pudong, which is under lockdown, is seen in the background on 29 March 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE

Police in protective gear on the Nanjing Street thoroughfare in Shanghai on March 28, 2022, usually teeming with pedestrians and tourists on most days. Photo: EPA-EFEI

Aerial photo taken on April 6, 2021 of the automated container terminal of Shanghai’s Yangshan Deepwater Port, operating at full capacity. Photo: Xinhua

A view of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) on 3 November 2019 before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Shutterstock

News

China

Politics

Science

Coronavirus

Greater China


All residents told to self-test on Sunday before a round of mass testing the following day
Health authorities say all positive cases will be sent to quarantine or hospital, ending speculation some will be allowed to isolate at home



All residents told to self-test on Sunday before a round of mass testing the following day.


Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

China economy

Shanghai

Shanghai orders Covid-19 tests for all 25 million residents in bid to contain outbreak

All residents told to self-test on Sunday before a round of mass testing the following day Health authorities say all positive cases will be sent to quarantine or hospital, ending speculation some will be allowed to isolate at home

All residents told to self-test on Sunday before a round of mass testing the following day

Health authorities say all positive cases will be sent to quarantine or hospital, ending speculation some will be allowed to isolate at home