Shanghai still battling scattered community cases
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall becomes crowded again on the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday on Friday.
Two days after the citywide lockdown was lifted, Shanghai reported three community COVID-19 cases and declared three more areas in downtown as medium-risk spots on Friday.
The two confirmed cases and one asymptomatic infection were found in Huangpu, Xuhui and Baoshan districts during community PCR screening. All of them had been vaccinated.
They have been sent to designated hospitals for quarantine treatment and medical observation, said Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission.
"We must stay vigilant all the time with the scattered community cases," Wu said.
"The city's anti-COVID-19 teams are always on standby as the risk of resurgence still exists," he said at a regular briefing.
Community infections were reported in Jing'an, Pudong, Huangpu, Xuhui and Baoshan as the city lifted the two-month-long lockdown and allowed citizens to resume normal work on Wednesday.
The new community infections include a 62-year-old woman in Huangpu's Ruijin No. 2 Road Subdistrict and a 39-year-old man in Xuhui's Hunan Road Subdistrict. They were diagnosed as confirmed COVID-19 cases with mild conditions. Another 62-year-old woman in Baoshan's Dachang Town was diagnosed as an asymptomatic case.
Epidemiological investigations show they went to nearby shopping malls, hair salons or convenience stores on Wednesday. They had remained within their community over the last 14 days. All the spots they visited have been disinfected.
People throng Xintiandi after it reopened.
Eighty-five close contacts of the new cases have been placed under quarantine. Seventy of them have already tested negative. Others are being tested, Wu said.
Over 22,000 people have been receiving PCR screening, with 15,000 returning negative.
The Block 13 in Ruijin No. 2 Road Subdistrict of Huangpu (the area within Julu Road, Jinxian Road, Maoming Road S. and Shaanxi Road S.), 58 Xinle Road in Hunan Road Subdistrict in Xuhui, and Qianxi No. 1 Community of Dachang Town of Baoshan are now medium-risk areas.
Meanwhile, Ze'an Village in Qingpu District's Xujing Town was downgraded to a low-risk area. A community case was reported in the village on May 20.
There are now a dozen medium-risk areas in the city.
People in the high- and medium-risk areas must stay at home and receive a PCR test every day for two weeks. If no additional cases are reported for 14 days, they will be downgraded to low risk.
Wu said, "early detection, quick reaction, prevention and control, as well as self-health management," are the four key mechanisms for the city to deal with new cases.
An alert system has been created with PCR and antigen screening, venue code and digital sentry scanning as well as monitoring at local fever clinics and pharmacies to detect any suspected cases timely.
Moreover, epidemiological investigators arrive within two hours after cases are detected. They collect core epidemiological information within four hours and figure out the basic transmission situation within a day.
Wu asked citizens to maintain social distance, wear a mask, get vaccinated, obey rules and monitor health.
Customers dine by the roadside with their takeaway food.
The city's landmark attractions and parks have received a large number of visitors on Friday, the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday through Sunday.
Over 1,500 security guards have been dispatched to the Bund, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall and Yuyuan Garden Malls to help manage the large visitors' flow during the holiday, said Yuan Yuan, deputy director of Huangpu District.
The number of visitors at the Yuyuan Garden Malls is restricted to under 5,000 currently, she said.
Temporary observation areas have been set up at these key scenic spots and public venues for visitors with a red health code or abnormal PCR test report.
The 27 parks in Baoshan District, including the popular Gucun Park, have received 29,000 visitors as of 4pm on Friday, said Meng Qingyuan, deputy director of Baoshan.
Visitors are required to make reservation before entering the large parks such as the Gucun Park. Other parks have limited their maximum capacity by half during the holiday, Meng said.
Customers line up at a traditional food shop.
