Authorities said they would split Shanghai in two for the exercise, using the Huangpu River that flows through the city as a guide. Areas east of the river, and some west, will be excluded and tested between March 28 and April 1. The remaining areas will be excluded and tested between April 1st and 5th.
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Public transportation, including transportation services, to these areas will be suspended when locked, the city government said on its official WeChat account, adding that unauthorized vehicles will not be allowed on the roads. The story goes on under the ad He also said that all companies and factories will suspend production or work remotely during the lockdown, except for those involved in providing public services or food. “The public is being asked to support, understand and cooperate with the city’s epidemic prevention and control work and to participate in nucleic acid testing in a regular manner,” the government added. 1:48 Uncertainty as COVID-19 cases increase in some countries Uncertainty as COVID-19 cases increase in some countries – March 16, 2022 Shanghai faced a new wave of COVID-19 for almost a month and on Saturday reported the highest daily number of cases since the initial outbreak in China subsided. The city recorded 2,631 new asymptomatic cases, representing nearly 60% of China’s total new asymptomatic cases that day, plus 47 new symptomatic cases. While the number of cases in Shanghai remains mediocre by world standards, the city of 26 million has become a testing ground for China’s “zero COVID” strategy as it seeks to control the highly contagious Omicron variant. Trending Stories
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The story goes on under the ad The Shanghai authorities had previously resisted a broad blockade of the city to avoid destabilizing its economy and opted for a more tailored “shredding and grid” approach, which includes one-on-one control of neighborhoods. The city is home to factories owned by companies such as Tesla TSLA.O, Volkswagen VOWG_p.DE and the country’s largest chip maker SMIC 0981.HK, as well as the headquarters of many international companies in mainland China. The Shanghai Stock Exchange said Sunday it would work to keep capital markets afloat during this “special” period of virus control. The stock exchange will continue to control plans to sell shares of companies seeking to enter the STAR market with a focus on technology, strengthen online communications with publishers and contractors and offer free services for virtual debut ceremonies, he said. The exchange will also allow listed companies to delay submitting their quarterly or annual reports if affected by pandemic restrictions and speed up bond issuance approvals for companies affected by the virus, he added. The story goes on under the ad More than 14 million Shanghai residents have undergone antigen testing, the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission announced on Sunday. However, some residents have grumbled about the seemingly endless test cycles and fragmented approach to ending transmission chains, with some saying the cost of zero COVID-19 had become too high. Read the whole story Disappointments have also been felt elsewhere in China. Earlier this month, on social media footage, crowds in the northeastern city of Shenyang were knocking on the windows of a clothing market as they shouted in frustration for another round of COVID-19 testing.
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China reported a total of 4,448 new asymptomatic infections on March 26, up from 4,430 a day earlier, including 1,007 new cases in the northeastern province of Jilin, which is currently under lockdown. The story goes on under the ad The country reported 1,254 new confirmed cases with symptoms, from 1,335 the previous day. Of the new cases, 1,217 were transmitted locally, compared to 1,280 the previous day. No deaths were reported on March 26, leaving 4,638 dead. By March 26, mainland China had confirmed 143,240 cases of COVID-19. – Report by Ryan Woo, Huiling Zhou, Brenda Goh, Winni Zhou and Samuel Shen
