Girl seeking medical treatment in Shanghai is COVID positive

Shanghai reported a COVID-19 community infection on Tuesday, a girl from outside the city who came for medical treatment, after detecting zero community cases for a week.

The 11-year-old girl, who was staying at Hanting Hotel on Moling Road in downtown Jing'an District, was diagnosed as an asymptomatic case during the mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival, according to the Shanghai Health Commission.

"The pandemic situation is not optimistic, both domestically and abroad, currently," said Wu Qianyu, a senior official with the commission.

"During the upcoming Mid-Autumn festival holiday, residents are advised not to leave Shanghai or travel overseas, unless it is absolutely necessary," Wu told the city's COVID-19 press briefing on Tuesday. The traditional festival falls on Saturday this year.

The latest case in Shanghai has been transferred to a local designated COVID-19 hospital for quarantine treatment, she added.

After arriving in Shanghai on September 2, the girl had been to a hair salon, several supermarkets and convenience stores, a restaurant, a shopping mall and a public toilet in Jing'an, Putuo and Huangpu districts, in addition to the hotel.

She had also been to the Children's Hospital of Shanghai on Luding Road in Putuo District.

The hotel she stayed in has been designated as a high-risk area, where a weeklong lockdown is being imposed, while a block on Zhejiang Road M., Guangdong Road and Haikou Road has become a medium-risk area.

The hospital's outpatient and emergency services are operating normally after timely screening and disinfection measures, said Wu.

The commission has asked local hospitals to further enhance their entry and exit management with mandatory temperature checks, health code and PCR test report inspections as well as venue code scanning, the official noted.

"A large number of patients are coming or returning to the city for medical treatment," she revealed.

Hu Bijie, a member of Shanghai's COVID-19 treatment expert team, suggested residents shift to online prescription and medical consultancy, keep wearing a mask and avoid drinking and eating at hospitals, as well as carry a hand sterilizer to disinfect frequently.

Outpatients must have a 72-hour negative PCR report, while inpatients must have a 24-hour report, Hu said.

Shanghai has streamlined its management on people coming or returning from domestic high- and medium-risk areas.

People returning from domestic provinces with COVID-19 cases 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 fever or cough.

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, according to the commission.