On June 10, health workers roamed a residential area enclosed by COVID-19 in Shanghai’s Xuhui District. HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP / Getty Images
China’s Shanghai mall will close millions of people for massive COVID-19 testing this weekend, just 10 days after lifting its grueling two-month blockade, worrying residents and raising concerns about the impact business.
Running to stop a wider outbreak after uncovering a handful of community cases, including a cluster tracked at a popular beauty salon, authorities have ordered PCR testing for all residents of 14 of Shanghai’s 16 districts during the week.
Five of the districts said residents could not leave their homes while the tests were being conducted. A notice issued by Changning District described the requirement to stay home as a “closed management” of the community that was shown.
The latest scare has led to a rush to grocery stores and online platforms to stock up on food, as Weibo users, such as Twitter from China, have expressed fears that they may be closed for longer. , after having started returning to work after the last lock was lifted. June 1.
Some areas had remained closed or had quickly returned to the blockade due to infections and their close contacts.
“The residential complex next to mine has already been closed,” said Zhang Jian, a 34-year-old real estate agent.
“If there is a massive test and there is another positive case in the compound, it will have a serious impact on our lives.”
China’s Shanghai mall will close millions of people for massive COVID-19 tests this weekend, just 10 days after lifting its grueling two-month blockade. This worries residents and raises concerns about the business impact.
Reuters
Although China’s infection rate is low by global standards, President Xi Jinping has doubled the zero-VOCID policy that authorities say is necessary to protect the elderly and the medical system, even when other countries try to live with the virus.
Mainland China reported 151 new cases of coronavirus on June 9, of which 45 were symptomatic and 106 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said Friday.
The latest round of mass testing adds to the already onerous testing requirements that Shanghai introduced for its 25 million residents after easing its previous blockade.
Residents must show that they have been tested in the last 72 hours to enter areas such as malls and offices, or even to use the subway and buses. Many have been frustrated by the prospect of queuing for hours to be tested.
Meanwhile, Beijing on Thursday shut down entertainment and internet venues in two of the capital’s largest districts after locating cases in a few bars.
The previous blockade of Shanghai fueled widespread frustration, anger and even rare protests among its residents, many of whom struggled with loss of income, loss of freedom, death of friends and family, and even the fam.
It also affected China’s economy, disrupting supply chains and slowing down international trade. And the latest setback has affected financial market sentiment.
Travel to China is still severely reduced, with most international flights canceled in the last two years and long quarantines for those who manage to arrive.
The European Chamber of Commerce said Shanghai offices belonging to its members only operated at 30-50% of their capacity while factories operated above 80%.
“We are at the mercy of mass testing. Factories will have to close even if only one positive case is detected,” said Bettina Schoen-Behanzin, vice president of the European Parliament, adding that European companies were becoming more cautious. and future investments in China were rethought.
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