Key Takeaways:
- Despite the travel restrictions imposed by the lockdown in China’s largest city, COVID-19 patients and health officials have argued that they should be allowed to return home.
- The city of 26 million people has recorded 1,006 confirmed infections and approximately 24,000 asymptomatic cases in the last 24 hours.
On Sunday, Shanghai released almost 11,000 recovered people. Despite the lockdown that has severely restricted travel in China’s largest metropolis, COVID-19 patients and health officials have urged that they must be allowed to return home.
“We hope that their family and community will not be concerned about them or discriminate against them,” stated Wu Jinglei, the Shanghai Health Commission’s director.
In the last 24 hours, the city of 26 million people reported 1,006 confirmed illnesses and approximately 24,000 asymptomatic cases. Shanghai has been under lockdown since March 28, and authorities announced on Saturday that, following another round of mass testing, the severe controls would be relaxed in regions where no new cases had been reported in the previous 14 days.
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Due to “arbitrary enforcement” of local laws, including COVID-19 restrictions, the US warned its people to reconsider travel to China on Saturday, notably in Hong Kong, Jilin province, and Shanghai. There is a chance of “parents and children being separated,” according to US officials.
China is “seriously displeased with and resolutely opposed to the US side’s groundless charge against China’s epidemic response,” according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.
“It’s worth noting that China’s anti-virus efforts are science-based and effective, and we’re certain that Shanghai and other Chinese cities will overcome the new wave of the epidemic,” Zhao added.
Meanwhile, according to the state-owned tabloid Global Times, Shanghai officials have secured daily supply for residents through internet platforms, following complaints about deliveries of food as well as other essential requirements as the lockdown approaches its third week.
Residents have resorted to group grocery shopping because they cannot leave their buildings. According to posts circulating on social media sites such as Weibo, some locals have not been able to have their food orders delivered, while others have stated online that they are out of food.
Some claim that a day’s worth of orders is already filled when you open the grocery shopping app.
According to the Global Times, companies like JD.com and Alibaba’s Ele.me delivery applications collaborate with government officials to ensure that everyone has access to veggies, fruits, and other fresh goods.
The rising human and economic costs of China’s “zero-COVID” plan, which aims to isolate every infected individual, are highlighted in Shanghai.
Separately, Erjiefang, a district in Beijing’s capital, was designated a high-risk area on Saturday after eight local COVID-19 infections were detected there in the previous two weeks.
According to the official Xinhua News Agency, primary and middle schools in Guangzhou will begin using online learning on Monday after the 18-million-strong metropolis northwest of Hong Kong recorded 23 local infections since Friday. After authorities said that citywide mass testing would commence, an exhibition hall was converted into a makeshift hospital.
Since the pandemic began, China has had one of its worst local outbreaks. Although most of the world has found methods to live with the virus, China remains banned from international travel.
Image from CTV News
