Authorities order Covid-19 tests every weekend in Shanghai

Bloomberg – Every weekend until the end of July, massive tests will be carried out in Shanghai to find cases of Covid-19 in residential complexes, as the authorities remain cautious regarding new chains of infection that can lead to more extensive outbreaks.

Zhao Dandanan official from the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, reported on Wednesday that there will be a temporary closure of residential complexes in which a case of Covid-19 has been detected in the week prior to the end of the tests. of week. The closure will be lifted once all the inhabitants of the complex have been tested..

Residents must undergo nucleic acid tests at least once a week until the end of July. Workers in supermarkets, hair salons, pharmacies, shopping malls, and restaurants have to take these tests daily. The delivery drivers must perform both antigen and nucleic acid tests daily. The staff of banks, gas companies and industrial companies must carry out daily antigen tests.

The policy formulated and implemented in China’s financial hub, which this month just emerged from a two-month lockdown, demonstrates that the government is increasingly relying on frequent mass testing to maintain its Zero Covid-19 policy against the omicron variant that is hyperinfectious. In the main citiesare setting up tens of thousands of lab testing stationsconvinced that the usual tests will make it possible to discover the chains of infection at an early stage and avoid lockdowns, which are economically very costly.

For example Shanghai reported two new cases outside quarantine facilities on Wednesday and sent dozens of close contacts to quarantine to prevent further spread.. This underlines the discontent of the authorities with the persistent spread of Covid-19 in the community, despite the numerous tests that have been carried out.

Just days after community spread of the virus was believed to have been slowed, Beijing saw another outbreak of the virus emerge in a bar. This gave rise to more than 200 cases and has prompted new rounds of massive testing in various parts of the city.

With the help of Sara Chen.

This article was translated by Miriam Salazar

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