New Delhi: With China registering an outbreak of coronavirus, financial hub Shanghai on Monday imposed a two-phase lockdown to contain the spread, as the city recorded 3,450 asymptomatic Covid cases on Sunday.
The city government on Monday reported 50 symptomatic cases as well as the financial center contributing to nearly 70 per cent of cases nationwide, according to Reuters.
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With a population of 26 million, the city has seen the biggest Covid-related restrictions ever as it closed bridges and tunnels, apart from restricting highway traffic to contain the infection.
Types of restrictions imposed
The city will be split into two for nine days along the Huangpu River and “staggered” testing will be implemented.
The announcement marked a change from its stance last week where the government categorically denied that Shanghai would be closed down. Back then, the city government insisted on a “slicing and gridding” approach to prevent the spread of infections.
Wu Fan, a member of Shanghai’s specialist COVID team, said a recent large-scale test had found “massive” infections across the city.
Fan stressed that it is very important to prevent a large-scale outbreak in our city because once “the infected people are brought under control, we have stopped the transmission.”
Cross-river bridge, tunnel and highway toll booths concentrated in the city’s eastern districts will remain closed from April 1. Similar measures will be taken between April 1 and 5 in areas west of the Huangpu River.
In a statement posted on its official Weibo account, the bureau said traffic controls would be implemented on highways in and out of the city, requiring people leaving Shanghai to have proof of negative results from nucleic acid tests carried out within 48 hours. will need to be shown.
The city government on Sunday said it would suspend public transport, including ride services, in closed areas. It also ordered the suspension of work in firms and factories, except those offering public services or supplying food.