Shanghai: Shanghai races against time, as the city scrambles to meet daily essentials on Wednesday, with supermarkets shut and deliveries restricted amid the mass testing programme citywide. The govt is expanding its quarantine capacity, converting the 150,000 square metre National Convention and Exhibition Centre into a facility that could accommodate 40,000 patients.
The National Health Commission on Wednesday reported to have accounted over 20,000 COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours the highest since the pandemic broke in the heart of the city. The country’s Zero COVID Policy has come under immense pressure as the cases spiked.
China recorded 20,472 infections on Wednesday, the National Health Commission said in a statement, adding that there were “no new deaths.” Majority of them being asymptomatic.
With residential compounds already locked down for more than two weeks, residents have shown frustration with the restrictions, testing requirements and availability of food and other necessities.
COVID positive children are being taken away from parents and quarantined separately- which has sparked fury amongst the residents.
Shanghai detected a record 16,766 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases on April 5, up from 13,086 a day earlier. Symptomatic cases also rose to 311 from 268 the day before. Logistics have been a major challenge for the city government, which had been relatively unscathed by the COVID-19 pandemic.