The Shanghai government declared on Monday that it will relieve COVID-19 restrictions in more than 40% of its communities despite the continuous spread of the virus in the whole city.
Based on results from citywide PCR testing on Saturday and other data, a total of 7,565 neighborhoods in the coastal city that logged no new cases over the past 14 days have been designated "prevention areas," according to city official Gu Honghui.
The list of qualifying areas is being released gradually. Some are already allowing residents out of their homes, as per Nikkei Asia report.
Residents of these areas may travel within a predetermined boundary but are still urged to avoid unnecessary outings.
But infections have shown no signs of subsiding. Shanghai reported 26,087 local infections on Sunday, topping records for the 10th day in a row.
According to Tuesday's report (April 11), the local government has registered 22,348 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and 994 symptomatic cases, per The Guardian.
Asymptomatic cases were lower compared to 25,173 recorded a day earlier. But the symptomatic cases went up from 914.
To limit movement, the Shanghai government has classified its communities into three COVID-19 risk categories.
Rigorous Lockdowns
The city has designated 2,460 neighborhoods as "restrictive control areas," where residents are allowed to leave their houses but must remain within their complexes if no infections were recorded within seven days. In 7,624 "closed-off management zones" that have reported infections in the last seven days, the lockdown will remain in place.
China has maintained a "Zero Covid" policy, with rigorous lockdowns, mass testing, and travel restrictions aimed at eradicating infections, The Bangkok Post reported.
However, since March, when more than 100,000 cases in Shanghai prompted a lockdown of the city's 25 million residents, causing considerable public outcry over food scarcity, lack of access to medical services, and uncompromising policy of sending everybody who tests positive to isolation centers. Hence, the program has come under fire.
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US Issues Advisory Amid COVID-19 Surge In China
Meanwhile, per CNBC report, the US State Department has issued an order for all non-emergency government personnel and their families in Shanghai to leave amid the surging cases of COVID-19.
The US government also advised its citizens to rethink their trip to China.
The State Department said in its announcement dated April 11 that Americans should "Reconsider travel to the People's Republic of China (PRC)" citing reasons of "arbitrary enforcement of local laws" and COVID-19 constraints.
"Do not travel to the PRC's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Jilin province, and Shanghai municipality due to COVID-19-related restrictions, including the risk of parents and children being separated," the statement said.
The State Department's announcement came after one released by the US Mission China in Beijing over the weekend. It advised non-emergency US consulate employees and family members of officials to leave Shanghai.
On April 8, the US issued a travel warning that included the same wording concerning "arbitrary enforcement of local regulations" and Covid-19 restrictions.
But according to a translation of the statement issued by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, China is "strongly dissatisfied" with and "firmly rejects" the baseless allegations of the United States on China's COVID-19 policy.
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