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Covid-19 in China: Shanghai logs 3,200 confirmed cases, the highest in a day
Around 20 million of Shanghai’s 25 million residents are still confined to their homes or neighbourhoods, a state media report said, according to the three-tier lockdown categories implemented in the city.
BEIJING: Shanghai on Friday logged a record high in symptomatic Covid-19 infections but posted a marginal drop in the number of overall cases as the city continued to battle the outbreak.
Although Shanghai’s total number of 23,000 infections on Friday were down from more than 27,000 the previous day, the number of symptomatic cases shot up to 3,200 from 2,573 a day earlier, the health authorities said.
Overall, the mainland reported 3,472 locally-transmitted confirmed infections and 20,694 asymptomatic carriers for Thursday.
Around 20 million of Shanghai’s 25 million residents are still confined to their homes or neighbourhoods, a state media report said, according to the three-tier lockdown categories implemented in the city.
The categories are defined as “locked down”, “controlled” or “precautionary” and are based on the screening results, the risk situation, and the number of cases in the past two weeks.
Shanghai has started to carry out citywide Covid-19 nucleic acid testing in nursing homes to minimise infection risk because seniors are a special group who need greater protection amid the epidemic, state-run Global Times quoted local authorities as saying on Friday.
The problem could become serious as the rate of vaccination among China’s elderly is low.
Vice mayor Peng Chenlei said on Friday that Shanghai has been making efforts to coordinate sufficient venues including sites from neighbouring cities for centralised quarantine for close contacts of Covid-19 patients.
“But he (Peng) admitted that the authorities still have to improve shortcomings and encouraged residents to provide supervision and advice,” the report said.
Since the lockdown started, residents have struggled to get food and urgent medical care amid China’s zero-infection policy.
Some of those who have been locked down in Shanghai since last month - during the initial targeted lockdowns that have continued after the entire city was sealed - have vented frustration on social media through videos and photos.
Some of the more shared topics have been censored but not before the posts were widely circulated or started discussion chains.
Most such topics were about supply bottlenecks and poor conditions at central quarantine zones.
On Friday, reports from the city said most of Shanghai’s shops remained closed, except for some with half-opened shutters from which goods were being carried to waiting delivery drivers.
“The city has converted residential buildings into quarantine centres but that is sparking protests from angry neighbours worried about higher risks of infection,” agency reports said.
In one live-streamed video, according to an AFP report, a woman can be heard weeping and asking, “why are they taking an old person away?” as officials appeared to put someone into a car.
