Seven districts require negative COVID-19 test results for workplaces

Starting from Monday, workplaces in Pudong New Area, Huangpu, Jing'an, Xuhui, Putuo, and Qingpu districts will require residents to provide negative COVID-19 test results taken any day from March 16 to 20, the city announced on Sunday.

Multiple free nucleic acid tests have been carried out over the past few days in the city, and COVID-19 control measures have been stepped up such as promoting distance working.

The city also calls for residents to reduce their unnecessary social gatherings and wear masks properly in public places.

Dr Zhang Wenhong, head of Shanghai's COVID-19 treatment team and director of the National Center for Infectious Disease, stressed the importance of implementing effective control and prevention of COVID-19 variants Omicron and its sub variant BA.2, at a COVID-19 prevention and control summit held in Shanghai on Sunday.

Zhang pointed out it's vitally important to increase the vaccination rate and keep stockpiling COVID-19 treatment medicine as well as medical resources.

China has to maintain a significantly high vaccination rate against COVID-19, especially in its susceptible population, and we have to reach a certain immunity rate before it can consider opening its borders gradually, he added.

"Shanghai has treated more than 6,000 COVID-19 patients with zero cases of death," he said. "The city's treatment ability has been increased with the vaccination rate, which reached 90 percent among adults."