Shanghai adds 61 new COVID-19 infections, two more medium-risk areas
A large number of people line up at Changzheng Hospital in downtown Huangpu District to receive nucleic acid testing on Saturday.
Shanghai reported six locally transmitted COVID-19 cases with mild symptoms and 55 local asymptomatic cases on Sunday afternoon.
The new local cases include two former asymptomatic patients who showed symptoms later. The other new and asymptomatic cases tested positive after being centrally quarantined or screened as close contacts of previous cases, according to Lu Hongtao, deputy director of the Shanghai Health Commission.
Meanwhile, 1578 Hongmei Road S. of Meilong Town in Minhang District and 1811 Xuefu Road, Jinshanwei Town of suburban Jinshan District have been elevated to medium-risk areas.
Shanghai currently has eight medium-risk areas of COVID-19.
Other local medium-risk areas are: 281 Changdao Road of Hudong Community Subdistrict in the Pudong New Area; 233 Henan Road N. in downtown Jing'an District; 1200 Caoxi Road N. in downtown Xuhui District; the No. 1 building at 3705 Bao'an Highway in suburban Jiading District; the Yonghui Supermarket outlet on Huting Road N. in suburban Songjiang District; and Putuo District's Shiquan Community Cultural Activity Center on Ningqiang Road.
The six new local cases, aged between 21 and 78 years, have been sent to the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center for treatment or quarantined medical observation, Lu told a press briefing on Sunday. They are residents of Minhang, Jiading and Jinshan districts, and all are in stable condition.
A small portion of the asymptomatic cases might show symptoms later due to the different conditions of their illness and vaccination, he pointed out.
1578 Hongmei Road S. of Meilong Town in Minhang District and 1811 Xuefu Road, Jinshanwei Town of outskirt Jinshan District have been elevated to medium-risk areas.
"Asymptomatic cases are being quarantined in the same way as other confirmed cases," Lu added.
Asymptomatic patients undergo two weeks of medical observation. After that, they receive two rounds of nucleic acid testing and are only discharged if both results are negative.
Since the beginning of the new round of COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai on March 1, the city had screened a total of 8,985 people who had close links with the positive cases as of 5pm on Sunday. Among them, 8,520 have tested negative and the rest are undergoing examination.
A rising number of people have been rushing to local nucleic acid testing sites in recent days amid obligations and requirements for medical services, travel, examinations or conferences.
"Long lines have appeared at many nucleic acid testing sites, while many people have complained that the results are slow in coming," Lu said.
To meet surging demand, local medical institutions have expanded nucleic acid testing personnel, increased the number of testing sites and extended service hours. Additional volunteers are being recruited to maintain order and prevent gathering of waiting people, he revealed.
Elsewhere, local e-commerce platforms have prepared more food supplies, about twice than normal, to meet the requirements of residents and communities under quarantine, according to Liu Min, deputy director of the city's commerce commission. Local supermarkets and other markets are also taking measures to ensure sufficient food supplies.
"Residents are advised to shop rationally and avoid hoarding goods at home," Liu urged.
Shanghai reported six new local COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
Additional closures
More local hospitals suspended some services or operations from Sunday while some transport services were also put on hold.
Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital temporarily shut its branches in Lingang, Pudong; and Shengsi County in Zhoushan Archipelago of neighboring Zhejiang Province for COVID-19 screening.
A positive case was detected during a previous screening at the hospital, followed by additional positive cases, the city's official social media account Shanghaifabu informed on Sunday.
"Medical experts have been dispatched to guide and assist the hospital's COVID-19 prevention and control," the account said in a response.
Shanghai General Hospital on 85 Wujin Road, Hongkou District, suspended its outpatients, emergency, fever clinic and nucleic acid testing services for screening. The other branch in Songjiang is operating normally.
Xinhua Hospital in Yangpu District closed its stomatology and dermatology departments. Other services at the hospital continue, including outpatients, emergency, inpatients, fever clinic for adults and children as well as nucleic acid testing.
Part or all of the services have also been suspended at Yangpu District Central Hospital on 200 Yanji Road E., Longhua Hospital on 725 Wanping Road S. in Xuhui and Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University's Yangpu branch for COVID-19 screening.
Furthermore, all of the city's long-distance passenger bus services will be suspended from Monday. Full ticket refund services will be provided, the city's transport commission said.
Nine long-distance coach services, operating more than 1,000 routes mainly to neighboring Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces as well as Shandong and Jiangxi provinces, have been halted to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The recent trend of COVID-19 confirmed cases and asymptomatic cases in Shanghai.
