Shanghai Relaxes Covid Testing Requirements as Case Numbers Fall
Shanghai will loosen Covid test requirements for people who enter public places as the city tries to restore a sense of normalcy after a two-month lockdown of the city’s 25 million population.
(Bloomberg) -- Shanghai will loosen Covid test requirements for people who enter public places as the city tries to restore a sense of normalcy after a two-month lockdown of the city’s 25 million population.
Residents will be required to hold a negative nucleic acid test result taken within 72 hours of entering public spaces or using public transportation from June 1, the municipal government said at a briefing on Sunday. The previous requirement was for people to be screened within 48 hours.
People who travel from Shanghai to other areas still have to have had a nucleic acid test 48 hours before departing and must carry a negative rapid antigen test result taken in the previous 24 hours, it said. The measures could be revised in line with developments, according to the local government.
Shanghai reported 122 new local Covid cases for Saturday, a decline from the 170 for Friday. Only one positive case was found outside government quarantine. The residential compound in which the infected person lived was carefully scrutinized and has been upgraded to a medium-risk area, officials from the city’s health commission said.
Beijing Detains Covid Lab Staff It Blames for Worsening Outbreak
China’s dogged adherence to its Covid Zero policy at all costs -- epitomized by Shanghai’s lockdown that began in late March and restrictions imposed elsewhere in the country of 1.4 billion -- has slowed everything from consumer spending to manufacturing in the world’s second-largest economy. Industrial output and consumer spending slid to the worst levels in April since the pandemic began in early 2020, while the confinement has sparked clashes between residents and police.
The capital Beijing will loosen mobility curbs in several districts from Sunday after authorities said its outbreak was under control. The city reported 21 new cases on Sunday, declining for the seventh straight day.
There were 215 local cases reported nationwide for Saturday, including 161 people with no symptoms, according to a statement from the National Health Commission.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.