Shanghai has been battling a new wave of coronavirus for nearly a month and on Saturday reported the highest daily number of cases since the outbreak of the original epidemic in China. Authorities decided to use the Huangpu River, which flows through the city, as a dividing line, as it locks in two stages over a nine-day period. The regions on one side will be locked and tested between March 28 and April 1, while the other between April 1 and April 5. Find out the latest coronavirus news on our special page Public transportation, including transportation services, in all areas will be suspended during the closure, the city government said on its official WeChat account, adding that unauthorized vehicles will not be allowed on the roads. 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 co-operate with the city’s epidemic prevention and control work and to participate in nucleic acid testing in an orderly manner,” a government spokesman added. The city recorded 2,631 new asymptomatic cases on Saturday, accounting for nearly 60% of China’s total new asymptomatic cases that day, plus 47 new symptomatic cases. Read more: • Disneyland Shanghai mass testing program • Millions in China face shutdown as coronavirus grows • China faces biggest challenge for COVID since Wuhan’s dark days Image: Coronavirus cases have more than tripled in mainland China. Photo: AP While Shanghai’s case numbers remain 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. Shanghai authorities have in the past 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. More than 14 million people have been tested for antigen, the city’s municipal health committee said on Sunday. Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker However, some residents have complained about the seemingly endless test cycles and the piecemeal approach to terminating the transmission chains, with some saying the cost of zero COVID-19 had become too high. 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.
