17 New COVID Cases, Mandatory Testing Extended to End of August

By Ned Kelly, July 21, 2022

Shanghai Health Commission reported a total of 3 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases this morning, Thursday, July 21. A further 14 local asymptomatic cases were also reported.

Of the 3 new local cases reported, 3 tested positive during central quarantine, while 0 tested positive during regular screening.

Of the 14 new local asymptomatic cases reported, 11 tested positive during central quarantine, while 3 tested positive during regular screening.

The 3 new asymptomatic case that tested positive during regular screening were in the following areas:

1 in Baoshan District
1 in Pudong District
1 in Putuo District

3 community cases not linked to KTV outbreak...

Worryingly, Shanghai's three asymptomatic community cases have no links with the KTV-related COVID-19 resurgence.

"The three new community cases had no connection with the city's previous COVID-19 transmissions traced back to KTVs and pubs," said Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Health Commission.

The cases in Baoshan and Pudong are contacts as co-workers, however.

The three areas in Baoshan, Pudong and Putuo where the cases live have been elevated to high-risk.

There are currently four high-risk areas and more than 70-plus medium-risk areas across the city, with 19 set to be downgraded from today.

Mandatory testing extended to end of August...

Mandatory weekly nucleic acid tests for Shanghai residents has been extended to August 31, the city's COVID-19 prevention authority has announced. Free testing will also be extended until the end of August.

Citizens are now subject to at least one nucleic acid test per week, said the authority, otherwise their health code will turn yellow... which we understood to have been the rule since early June?!

8,000 hospital beds reserved for COVID resurgence...

Shanghai is preparing at least 8,000 beds at designated COVID-19 hospitals in case of another resurgence, according to the city's health commission.

There are currently some 1,000 beds at Jinshan District's Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, the city's key designated COVID-19 hospital, and a further 3,000 beds at the only remaining makeshift hospital on Chongming Island.

However, local hospitals with strong treatment and better infection control capabilities are preferred as designated COVID-19 hospitals; 11 city-level and 34 district-level facilities have been designated as such.

"Preparation is essential, even though the effort might be redundant," said Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission.

More midweek mass testing...

Shanghai launched yet another two rounds of midweek mass nucleic acid screening from Tuesday through to today.

Nine districts are taking part:

Baoshan
Changning
Hongkou
Huangpu
Jing'an
Minhang
Putuo
Xuhui
Yangpu

Subdistricts or towns with new positive cases will also be subject to the mandatory testing.

During the screening, participants must have a 24-hour negative PCR report (it was 48-hour last week) to leave or enter their communities, companies and other public venues.

Routine PCR screening will also still be held on the weekend. The joys!

In other COVID news...

With sporadic community infections reappearing in the city, authorities are encouraging people to get their COVID-19 booster shot. If you haven't had yours yet, here's how to sign up:

China’s travel code, used for checking the travel history of people in the country, now only checks the travel history of users over a 7-day period, as opposed to the previous 14-days:

That restrictive star symbol will no longer appear on the Travel Code app:

China has further eased restrictions for overseas arrivals into the country, with 7-day centralized quarantine plus 3-day ‘health monitoring’ at home (the ‘7+3’ policy) the norm:

A negative PCR test result obtained within the last 72 hours is currently a must in Shanghai should you wish to take part in 'normal life' – click the link below to find out where to get one:

Meanwhile, those Shanghai residents who do not do a PCR test within seven days of their last test will see their health code turn yellow:

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