Shanghai acts over Xinjiang's virus risk areas

Zhou Shengjie / SHINE

People coming or returning to Shanghai from China’s high and medium-risk regions for the coronavirus will be subject to 14-day central or community quarantine along with two nucleic acid tests.

Kashgar Prefecture in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has rated Shufu County’s Zhanmin and Sayibage townships as well as Tuokezhake and Wukusake towns as high-risk regions.

Other parts of Shufu are listed as medium-risk regions. Other counties and cities of Kashgar remain low-risk areas.

A total of 164 asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in Kashgar as of 4pm on Monday after another 26 tested positive. All the cases were reported in the Shufu County.

The Loushanhou community in east China’s Qingdao City in Shandong Province was downgraded to low-risk on Monday from medium-risk as no new COVID-19 cases were detected in the last two weeks.

Late last night, Shanghai’s epidemic prevention and control office announced that the city will further enhance the health management on those coming from the high- and medium-risk regions in China.

All those traveling from the high- and medium-risk must report to the neighborhood (village) committees and their companies or hotels within 12 hours, starting Monday.

Those from or passing by the high-risk regions must undergo a 14-day central quarantine for health observation and take the nucleic acid tests twice.

Those from the medium-risk regions must receive a two-week strict community health management, such as home quarantine, as well as two tests.

Citizens and travelers coming from the risky regions in the last 14 days are being reminded to ensure self-health monitoring.

Those with COVID-19 symptoms such as fever and dry cough must go to nearby fever clinics wearing facial masks.

Shanghai authorities has again reminded citizens to wear masks and keep social distance on public transport, in indoor areas with many people and at hospitals.