Subways, buses between Shanghai and Suzhou suspended after 8 new COVID-19 cases in Suzhou
Employees receive nucleic acid testing at the Suzhou Industrial Park on Monday.
Subway and bus services between Shanghai and the neighboring city of Suzhou were suspended on Monday to curb the resurgence of COVID-19 in Jiangsu Province.
Part of Shanghai's Metro Line 11 was shut down at noon on Monday. Three stations in Kunshan, under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, were shut down after Suzhou reported seven new COVID-19 cases and another asymptomatic case on Monday.
Line 11, the only interprovincial Metro line, has three stations – Huaqiao, Guangming Road and Zhaofeng Road – in neighboring Kunshan. Resumption of operations has yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, all interprovincial bus services between Shanghai and Suzhou, including scheduled bus lines and charter coaches, were suspended at noon on Monday.
All the new COVID-19 cases in Suzhou are the highly infectious Omicron variant, the disease control and prevention center of Suzhou announced on Monday.
All the cases, including a three-month infant, were related to Suzhou Industrial Park – either employees who work there or close contacts. Five of the new cases have mild symptoms.
One of the cases handles imported materials (non-cold chain) at a warehouse in the industrial park, while another works in the Internet department of a company in the park.
People line up to receive testing at Suzhou Industrial Park on Monday.
The three-month-old child is the daughter of a confirmed case who works in a laboratory at the park. The maternity provider for the baby was confirmed as the asymptomatic case.
Suzhou has quarantined or controlled 39 sites across the city. It has shut down its cinemas, mahjong and chess rooms, Internet bars, KTV, game rooms, bars and other public areas.
Suzhou residents are required to stay home, avoid gathering and wear masks. They are asked to avoid leaving the city unless it is absolutely necessary. Schools will delay their new semesters, while all training institutes have been closed.
Following the resurgence, Shanghai stepped up its quarantine policies regarding people coming from medium- and high-risk areas on Monday.
Anyone who comes to Shanghai directly from or has passed through medium- or high-risk areas must report to their residential community committees or hotels within 12 hours of arriving in Shanghai.
People from high-risk areas will be quarantined for 14 days for observation at designated locations and receive four nucleic acid tests, while those from medium-risk areas will be quarantined at their homes and are also subject to four tests.
Medical institutes and schools have been ordered to enhance inspections of health codes. Employees and students coming to or returning from travel outside Shanghai are subject to a weeklong home quarantine and nucleic acid test within two days of arriving.
Authorities are reiterating that people should refrain from traveling to medium- or high-risk areas and leaving the country unless necessary. Personal protection, hand disinfection and daily health monitoring should be undertaken if traveling.
