No new Omicron subvariant found in Shanghai
Citizens in precautionary areas in Putuo District shop at a reopened supermarket.
No new, more transmittable coronavirus subvariants have been found in Shanghai, the Shanghai Health Commission has stated.
The World Health Organizations has drawn attention to new sub-variants of COVID-19 beyond the BA.2 mutation, such as the BA.4 and BA.5, and expressed concern over the possibility of a new worldwide flare-up.
The dominant subvariants of the city's resurgence remains the Omicron BA.2 and BA.2.2, as Shanghai continues its gene sequencing of locally transmitted infections, said Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the commission.
He emphasised sticking to scientific epidemiological survey and control measures and avoiding "simplified sweeping approaches."
The city will continue its three-area designation and testing to screen out infections and put them under quarantine in a timely manner, he added.
Citizens in the locked-down areas will receive daily PCR tests, while those in the controlled areas will take three PCR and four antigen self-tests every week.
Citizens in precautionary areas enjoy a stroll in the sunshine.
People in precautionary areas will receive one PCR plus six antigen tests per week. They must show a negative PCR report made within two days to enter any public area.
Delivery staff, volunteers and personnel maintaining the urban operation will receive a PCR and two antigen tests with an interval of eight hours every day, Zhao said.
Meanwhile, screening will be launched at key sites such as companies, construction sites, street shops, apartment buildings, office buildings, hotels and among migrant groups. Those who do not take PCR tests will found their health code has become yellow, banning them from entering any public areas.
According to the results of the PCR plus antigen screening, a total of almost 17.02 million local residents, or some 68 percent of Shanghai's total population, in precautionary areas – communities, villages and businesses are without a positive case in the last two weeks.
The number of residents in locked-down areas has rebounded a bit to 2.45 million, while 3.82 million people are in controlled areas, Zhao revealed.
Citizens buy pork at a reopened wet market.
Shanghai's daily infection numbers declined to a total of 3,975 on Saturday. The city reported eight more COVID-19 deaths with the casualties having an average age of 80.6 years. All had severe underlying conditions, and only one of them had been vaccinated.
Of COVID-19 patients in local designated and makeshift hospitals, 412 have severe symptoms and 84 are in critical condition.
A total of 10,780 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals on Saturday after making a full recovery.
Meanwhile, 101 members of the disinfection volunteers teams organized by the Red Cross Society of China have disinfected more than 19.21 million square meters of buildings and public space, including 4,472 buildings where positive cases lived.
"We need to take the barrels of disinfectant to climb up and down every day," said Shan Minghua, deputy leader of the Shanghai disinfection team of the Red Cross.
"It is equivalent to climb to the top of the 632-meter-tall Shanghai Tower 29 times."
A disinfection volunteer team organized by the Red Cross Society of China Shanghai Branch.
A disinfection volunteer works in a residential building.
