Shanghai initiates backup quarantine sites as COVID-19 cases soar
A local mask and hazmat suit production line in operation amid a resurgence in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shanghai has designated some backup medical institutes for the quarantine and treatment of the increasing number of local COVID-19 and asymptomatic cases.
Zhoupu Hospital in the Pudong New Area is among the first batch of backup medical institutes which can receive positive COVID-19 cases in emergency, Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission, told a press briefing on Tuesday.
Currently, most of the locally transmitted and imported COVID-19 cases and asymptomatic infections are under quarantined treatment at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, the city's designated hospital for COVID-19 patients, in suburban Jinshan District.
To meet rising demand, the city has launched an emergency response to quickly increase the number of beds for central quarantine, he revealed.
"We've also made work plans and resource reservations to build or convert eligible sites, such as gyms and conference centers, into makeshift hospitals, mainly for the quarantine of asymptomatic cases and those with mild symptoms," Wu noted, adding that no such makeshift hospitals have been launched in Shanghai yet.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases with mild symptoms can be put under central quarantine at designated sites. They will be moved to designated hospitals only if their condition gets worse, according to China's latest edition of the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia."
Medical staff make arrangements for nucleic acid testing for the physical challenged and the elderly.
One more medium-risk area
Shanghai reported 31 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 865 local asymptomatic infections on Monday. All of them were detected during central quarantine or the city's ongoing massive screening.
Also, a record number of 140 COVID-19 patients were discharged on Monday from local designated hospitals after making a full recovery. Another 186 asymptomatic patients were also released after finishing medical observations, said Wu.
Meanwhile, Fengqiaonanzhai in Lianqin Village, Beicai Town of Pudong has been elevated to a medium-risk area for COVID-19, while 233 Henan Road N. of Jing'an District was downgraded to a low-risk area from Tuesday.
Shanghai now has a dozen medium-risk areas.
Over 10 million times of nucleic acid testing were conducted among residents in low-risk subdistricts and towns between Friday and Sunday. About 25,000 medical staff have set up nearly 18,000 nucleic acid sample collection sites for the massive screening. More than 1.9 million daily individual tests can be taken in Shanghai now, Wu revealed.
The next classified screening will be done step by step from key subdistricts and towns to neighborhoods and residential buildings, he added.
Far more asymptomatic cases than confirmed cases are being detected in the city during the screening.
Fengqiaonanzhai in Lianqin Village, Beicai Town of the Pudong New Area, has been elevated to a medium-risk area for COVID-19.
Fu Chen, director of the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that one reason for the sharp comparison is that the dominant Omicron BA.2 sub-variant of the coronavirus conceals well and spreads faster, but has a short incubation period and no typical clinical symptoms.
More than 95 percent of China's COVID-19 infections are with mild symptoms or asymptomatic.
Furthermore, COVID-19 patients in Shanghai, during this round of resurgence, are mainly young and middle-aged, who are healthy and have a strong immunity. The average age of the local infections is about 40 years, Fu pointed out.
The wide range of vaccination in Shanghai has enhanced group immunity, he said. More than 55 million shots of COVID-19 vaccines have been taken across the city. Some 22 million have received two jabs, while another 11 million-plus people have taken booster shots.
The ongoing grid screening has also helped find many early infections, who are in the incubation period and show no symptoms, Fu added.
With more local neighborhoods going under quarantine during the massive screening, residents have been complaining about difficulties in online grocery shopping, and many are gripped with anxiety during the home quarantine.
A quarantined community in Putuo District.
Gu Jun, director of the Shanghai Commerce Commission, claimed that major e-commerce platforms have increased the number of deliverymen to cater to the soaring demand, especially from communities under lockdown.
"Two e-commerce platforms, for instance, have deployed some meal deliverymen to deliver vegetables in the morning," Gu told the same press briefing. He said the city's daily supplies remain sufficient and stable.
New COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland as reported on March 21.
