Shorter central quarantine for COVID-19 close contacts in Shanghai
A staff disinfects the waiting area outside a shopping complex at the Wujiaochang commercial hub in Shanghai's Yangpu District.
The central quarantine period has been shortened by half to a week for close contacts of COVID-19 infections in Shanghai, according to the city's health commission.
As per the latest policies, they will be centrally quarantined for a week, followed by another week of home quarantine, Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Health Commission, said.
During central quarantine, the close contacts will receive daily polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. They will be discharged only after the PCR samples on the infections as well as their items and living environment are negative on the seventh day.
During the subsequent home quarantine, they must live alone or with family members separately. A magnetic catch or seal will be stuck on their doors to make sure they stay at home.
They, and the people they stay with, must take PCR tests every day. Home quarantine will be lifted after they test negative on the seventh day.
Those with no separate living quarters as required must undergo two weeks of central quarantine, Zhao told the city's COVID-19 press briefing on Monday.
Close contacts of COVID-19 cases are defined as people who have had unprotected close contact with confirmed, asymptomatic or suspected cases within four days before the cases started to show symptoms or have returned a positive PCR test, or those who have been exposed to a potentially contaminated environment.
Previously, they would be centrally quarantined for two weeks with seven nucleic acid tests, followed by another week of home quarantine and health observation.
A food store on Nanjing Road E. has enhanced entry management for customers.
Secondary contacts, or the contacts of close contacts, are those who have lived, worked, dined or entertained with close contacts in the same sealed environment but with no protection. They are mainly family members or colleagues of the close contacts.
They will undergo a week-long home quarantine with multiple PCR tests and are required to conduct another week of self-health observation, avoid gathering and reduce traveling.
The health code of both close and secondary contacts will become red during the central or home quarantine period, banning them from taking public transport or entering public places.
Zhao noted that the policies may be further adjusted according to the city's COVID-19 pandemic situation.
If the infections had been staying at home and using a private kitchen and bathroom, then only people living with them will be defined as close contacts.
Those living on the same floor or on the floors immediately above or below a positive case will be considered secondary contacts.
If the infections shared a kitchen or bathroom with their neighbors, then people using the same public facilities and living on the same floor will also become close contacts.
Other residents in the same building will become secondary contacts, according to Shanghaifabu, the city's official WeChat account.
It noted these are the principles for defining close and secondary contacts, and a comprehensive assessment will be made according to on-site investigations and risk evaluations.
A resident provides her oral swab sample during PCR testing in her community.
Shanghai has designated a new medium-risk area in Gucun Town of suburban Baoshan District.
Shanghai has reported more than 40 community infections in 13 districts since the city lifted its two-month-long lockdown on June 1.
To curb the resurgence, Shanghai has established 16 supervision teams in each of the local districts to inspect the COVID-19 prevention measures being implemented in the service industry, where an increasing number of employees or related people have tested positive.
In the latest outbreak, 28 positive cases have been traced to the Suning.com mall in the Wujiaochang commercial hub in Yangpu District, while more than 126,000 citizens have been screened.
"The inspectors will focus on supermarkets, malls, restaurants, hair salons, wholesale markets, hotels and other key sites of the service industry," Shen Weizhong, deputy director of the city's emergency response management bureau, revealed.
They mainly check the entry and staff management, site disinfection, personal protection, imported cold chain food and night markets, he told the press briefing.
During the first day of inspections, some places were found lax in implementing management and environmental disinfection. Some venues failed to limit the number of visitors or ask the queuing customers to maintain social distance, Shen said.
Some other venues failed to strictly ask every customer to scan the venue code, or have their employees take daily PCR tests, the official added. All these places have been asked to rectify their faults promptly.
On Monday, the city reported one community COVID-19 case and designated one more area – in suburban Baoshan District – as a medium-risk spot. This brings the total number of such areas in the city to 36.
A security guard asks a customer to scan the venue code before entering a shopping mall in Shanghai.
The new infection detected in Baoshan District on Monday.
