A medical worker takes a swab sample from a woman for nucleic acid test in Changning District of east China's Shanghai, April 1, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
SHANGHAI/BEIJING – The transmission of COVID-19 in Shanghai is in a period of "rapidly rising," and the city is expected to see more infections in the near future, said a senior health official on Friday.
The total infections in Shanghai topped 36,000 in March, and have spread to other regions, said Lei Zhenglong with the National Health Commission at a press conference.
To curb the spread of the virus in Shanghai, the second phase of closed-off management has come into force in areas west of the Huangpu River on Friday amid a recent spike in COVID-19 infections, according to local authorities
In the past month, China has seen 103,965 locally transmitted cases in 29 provincial-level regions, with around 90 percent cases reported in the northeastern province of Jilin and Shanghai, said the NHC.
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To curb the spread of the virus in Shanghai, the second phase of closed-off management has come into force in areas west of the Huangpu River on Friday amid a recent spike in COVID-19 infections, according to local authorities.
As scheduled, nucleic acid testing will be held from Friday to April 5 for around 16 million people, and 12 districts will be put under temporary closed-off management.
The megacity in east China on Monday began its two-phase enforcement of temporary closed-off management to track possible infections and curb the spread of the virus. Mass nucleic acid testing in areas including those on the east of the Huangpu River started Monday.
Shanghai has also tightened its virus control measures and encouraged its residents not to leave the city unless necessary.
From Saturday, people leaving the city will have to either show a negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours together with a negative antigen testing result within 24 hours, or present a negative nucleic acid test within 24 hours.
A resident receives nucleic acid testing at a community in Shanghai's Pudong New Area on March 28, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
Shanghai reported 358 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 4,144 asymptomatic carriers on Thursday, Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai municipal health commission, told a press conference on Friday.
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Meanwhile, another health official noted that China is facing a severe and complicated anti-epidemic situation.
Mi Feng, spokesperson for the NHC, made the remarks at a press conference, saying China has seen a rapid increase in newly confirmed local cases and asymptomatic carriers in many places across the country.
Community transmission has not been stemmed in some areas, and the affected areas have been further expanded, Mi said.