Shanghai Reports Record Daily Covid Deaths in Current Outbreak
The city recorded 39 fatalities for Saturday, bringing its total number of virus-related deaths to 87 since late February.
(Bloomberg) -- Shanghai reported its highest number of daily Covid-19 deaths in the current outbreak, as China continues to stick to its Covid Zero policy with strict lockdown measures imposed in the city.
The city recorded 39 fatalities for Saturday, bringing its total number of virus-related deaths to 87 since late February, according to a report on Sunday by the Shanghai Health Commission. The average age of the people who died was 78.7 and all had underlying diseases, according to the report.
Shanghai logged 21,058 new local Covid infections, the vast majority of which were mild or asymptomatic cases, the commission said. The previous day, the city reported 23,370 new local cases and 12 deaths.
The financial center is entering its fourth week of strict lockdown, while people living in the eastern part of the city, and neighborhoods with earlier reported cases, have been confined to their homes for even longer. Frustration among residents has been building due to a lack of access to food or medical care, poor quality government rations and the location of quarantine centers.
The municipal government said it would adopt nine actions from Friday to achieve the goal of “no community spread,” a milestone that’s eluded the city despite weeks of lockdown. The announcement damped people’s some expectations that restrictions would be gradually eased amid signs that the outbreak may have peaked.
While the announcement repeated existing lockdown measures, authorities vowed to strictly implement rules, including making sure people don’t leave their homes in restricted areas.
The government measures have caused mounting frustration among residents. Last week, Chinese online users rallied to outwit government censors with a video documenting weeks of lockdown in Shanghai, which flooded social media.
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With assistance from Bloomberg