Meetings, exhibitions in tighter rein after businessman tests positive for virus
An increasing number of arriving travelers and students at Shanghai Railway Station before schools reopen.
Shanghai reported a COVID-19 community infection on Tuesday, a business traveler from southwest China, two days before local schools reopen.
The 25-year-old man, who stays in JI Hotel's Caohejing branch in Minhang District, took flight TV9865 to Shanghai on Monday.
He was diagnosed as a confirmed case with mild symptoms after taking a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival, Wu Qianyu, a senior official with the Shanghai Health Commission, told the city's COVID-19 press briefing on Wednesday morning.
As a result, Shanghai has strengthened the management of all cross-provincial offline meetings, trainings, exhibitions and other activities.
These meetings should be postponed, shifted online or scaled down, according to the city's COVID-19 prevention and control authority.
The hosts and organizers of the events have been ordered to take full responsibility for COVID-19 prevention and control.
"Shanghai is facing escalating risks of COVID-19 infections from both other domestic regions and overseas where a new resurgence is rampant," said Wu. "The COVID-19 situation in Shanghai remains tough and complicated as an increasing number of people are returning to the city from summer holiday trips."
Shanghai designates a new COVID-19 high-risk area, an office building in Minhang District.
The Chinese mainland reported 349 locally transmitted, confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, of which 164 were in Sichuan, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.
Altogether, 1,326 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified on Tuesday, including 674 in Tibet and 107 in Sichuan, said the commission.
The latest case in Shanghai has been transferred to a local designated COVID-19 hospital for quarantine treatment, Wu said.
In addition to the hotel in an office building in Hongqiao Town, he had been to a nearby office park, canteen and barbecue restaurant in Minhang. All have been quarantined and disinfected with massive PCR screenings, said Li Rui, deputy director of Minhang.
More than 1,000 of the man's close contacts have been traced and put under central quarantine and PCR screenings. A total of 11,525 related people are being screened.
The office building, Ruite International Building at 1888 Yishan Road, has since been listed as a high-risk area. All the building's entrances and exits have been cordoned off and guarded around the clock, said Li.
He vowed to offer services and support to the companies under quarantine in the building.
There are currently five high-risk areas in Shanghai's Yangpu and Minhang districts as well as the Pudong New Area, along with a dozen medium-risk areas in Pudong, Xuhui, Yangpu and Baoshan.
Yuan Zheng'an, a member of Shanghai's COVID-19 experts' team, suggested citizens take countryside trips or urban tours within the city during the upcoming September 10 Mid-Autumn Festival.
Residents must have a negative PCR report within 72 hours to leave Shanghai, while those in low-risk areas must have a PCR report from within the 48 hours, Yuan said.
A new community case in Shanghai.
Yuan asked travelers to bring masks, disinfection wipes and hand sanitizer on any trips they take and avoid gathering with others in public areas and tourist attractions.
People returning from domestic provinces who have tested positive for COVID-19 must report to their neighborhood or village committees or companies, receive PCR tests and regularly scan venue codes. They are also required to go to a hospital if they show symptoms such as fevers or coughs, he added.
A weeklong central quarantine is mandatory for people coming or returning from domestic COVID-19 high-risk areas, while a week of home quarantine is required for those coming from medium-risk areas.
People returning from low-risk areas are asked to take two PCR tests within three days after arrival.
Additionally, those from domestic regions where lockdowns are in force, "key regions" that have rapid COVID-19 transmission or any COVID-19 case that has spread to Shanghai must also undergo a weeklong central quarantine.
Travelers from domestic cities with a "key region" will have to undergo a three-day central quarantine and another four days of home quarantine after arriving in Shanghai.
Shanghai has reported zero community infections for five consecutive days.
On Thursday, all local primary and secondary schools as well as kindergartens and childcare facilities will reopen.
According to the city's education commission, all faculty and students must take two nucleic acid tests over three days before returning to schools. Beginning Thursday, they must take a nucleic acid test every day before leaving their campuses.
There are currently five high-risk areas in Shanghai.
