Covid: China, western part of Shanghai is also in lockdown

2022-04-01T10:18:42.100Z

Shanghai reported another 358 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 4 on Thursday. (ANSA) 01 April, 12:03 Close up Covid: China, western part of Shanghai is also in lockdown Photo story © ANSA WATCH THE PHOTOSTORY Photo Close © ANSA Close Hong Kong authorities ease quarentine period and lift flight ban on select counties © ANSA Close Hong Kong authorities ease quarentine period and lift flight ban on select counties © ANSA Close Hong Kong authorities ease quarentine period

01 April, 12:03

Close up

Covid: China, western part of Shanghai is also in lockdown

Photo story

© ANSA

WATCH THE PHOTOSTORY Photo

© ANSA

Hong Kong authorities ease quarentine period and lift flight ban on select counties © ANSA

Shanghai's lockdown puts pressure on China's growth © ANSA

Hong Kong authorities ease quarentine period and lift flight ban on select counties © ANSA

Shanghai's lockdown puts pressure on China's growth © ANSA

Hong Kong authorities ease quarentine period and lift flight ban on select counties © ANSA

Shanghai's lockdown puts pressure on China's growth © ANSA

Hong Kong authorities ease quarentine period and lift flight ban on select counties © ANSA

Shanghai's lockdown puts pressure on China's growth © ANSA

(ANSA) - BEIJING, APRIL 01 - Shanghai reported on Thursday another 358 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 4,144 further asymptomatic carriers of internal transmission, with the western area of the city, that of Puxi, which entered lockdown today involving over 16 million residing in nucleic acid tests against the Omicron variant.

The Chinese financial hub has so far conducted two rounds of mass testing in the eastern part of Pudong and Punan in 4 days, taking over 18 million samples.

Preliminary data showed a decrease in infections in the second cycle compared to the first, local authorities reported.

Shanghai strengthened its anti-Covid prevention measures after a meeting of 3,000 officials, promising a strategy of "static management of the whole region" (sweeping checks),

to correct an initial selective verification approach that highlighted the surprise of the city in the face of the danger of Omicron.

MaChunlei, general secretary of the city government, admitted in a briefing the lack of preparation for the latest wave of infections and that the control measures had not been up to par.

These are comments accrued after Li Qiang, the head of the Communist Party of the city and one of the candidates for joining the Politburo Standing Committee at the end of the year, declared during a video meeting that the situation was in its most difficult phase.

Shanghai, which is home to the largest container shipping port in the world, has avoided blockages across the city: until Monday, however,

Western residents will no longer be able to leave their homes except to go for a screening test.

With the Micron variant, China is experiencing the worst wave of infections since the start of the pandemic: although the numbers are low, the government is pursuing the 'zero Covid' strategy, which has been tested by Omicron's BA.2 sub-variant.

So far, authorities have successfully fought minor outbreaks through lockdowns, mass testing and quarantines.