Residents in risky areas required to stay at home during screening sweep
A quarantined area on Shunchang Road in Huangpu District
Residents in Shanghai's risky areas are likely required to continue staying at home even after finishing two rounds of nucleic acid testing to reduce mobility during the city's ongoing massive screening.
The next-step COVID-19 control measures will be decided based on the results of the screening and analysis of the infection and transmission risks in key areas, according to Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission.
After the testing, the number of confirmed and asymptomatic cases in each area will be estimated, along with their age, information and epidemiological investigation, Wu told a press briefing on Thursday.
If all people test negative during the two rounds of nucleic acid testing, it means the region has a low risk of COVID-19 infection at present.
If one or multiple positive cases are detected, it means the area has risks of potential infection and further transmission. Some follow-up measures will be taken, Wu said.
Shanghai launched a new round of massive COVID-19 nucleic acid testing on Wednesday and Thursday among people in areas at high risk of infection to help meet the "dynamic zero-COVID-19" target at the community level.
A quarantine staffer delivers parcels to residents in a quarantined area on Shunchang Road in Huangpu District.
The trend and distribution of Shanghai's new COVID-19 cases since March 1.
Apart from those designated as high risk, who are already under regular screening, those in the key areas are required to stay at home and undergo two nucleic acid tests in 48 hours.
The key areas, based on local subdistricts or towns, are selected according to the number of infections since the outbreak of this round of pandemic. The region's population density, social characteristics and economic activities are also taken into account, said Wu.
The quarantine at the areas will be lifted after negative reports come out.
"Those who have already finished the two tests are advised to continue staying at home unless they have important matters," Wu said.
"It can largely avoid mobility during the screening and help achieve 'dynamic zero-COVID-19' at the community level," he added.
Shanghai's subway operator will suspend the prolonged operation of Metro Lines 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 and 13 on Friday and Saturday night.
The intervals of departures have also been extended across the network to help curb the spread of COVID-19, Shanghai Metro announced.
The low-frequency operation will provide additional time for the cleaning and disinfection of carriages, the Metro operator said.
The number of Shanghai's subway passengers has decreased dramatically under stringent measures since this round of surge of COVID-19 cases from March 1. The city's Metro lines transported about 1.8 million passengers as of 3pm on Wednesday, about 70 percent fewer than that on March 1.
Residents in a quarantined area in downtown Shanghai chat from their apartments.
The No. 1 building at 3705 Bao'an Highway in Jiading District will be downgraded to a low-risk area from medium-risk at midnight on Friday.
One risk area downgraded
Shanghai reported eight locally transmitted COVID-19 cases with mild symptoms and 150 local asymptomatic infections on Wednesday.
All the new confirmed and asymptomatic cases tested positive after being centrally quarantined or screened as close contacts of previous cases, according to Wu.
The No. 1 building at 3705 Bao'an Highway in Jiading District will be downgraded to a low-risk area from medium-risk at midnight on Friday.
Shanghai now has nine COVID-19 medium-risk areas.
They are: 920 Tingyue Road, Huinan Town of the Pudong New Area; the construction site dormitory at Jianchuan Road Comprehensive Service Center of Jiangchuan Road Subdistrict of Minhang District; 9 Jumenhou Road in Huangpu District's Dapuqiao Subdistrict; 760 Loutang Road in Jiading District Industrial Zone; 1578 Hongmei Road S. in Minhang's Meilong Town; 1811 Xuefu Road in Jinshan District's Jinshanwei Town; 281 Changdao Road in Pudong's Hudong Community Subdistrict; 233 Henan Road N. in Jing'an District; and 1200 Caoxi Road N. in Xuhui District.
Since the surge of local cases began on March 1, the city has screened a total of 15,786 people who had close contact with positive cases as of 2pm on Wednesday. Among them, 14,255 have tested negative, with the rest undergoing examinations.
Quarantine staff isolate street shops with boards on Shunchang Road in Huangpu District.
Shanghai reported eight new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
