Coronavirus: Shanghai’s new cases rebound after five-day decline, with no end in sight for lockdown

Shanghai reported on Saturday a sharp rebound in the daily numbers of new Covid-19 cases, ending a five-day declining streak and dashing hopes of an imminent end to the citywide lockdown that started on April 1.

A total of 23,370 new infections were recorded in the previous 24 hours, up 32.6 per cent from a day earlier, according to government data, taking the city’s cumulative cases since March 1 to about 466,000. Symptomatic cases rose 41.7 per cent to 2,736, while 11 patients died, bringing the death toll to 48.

Severe cases stood at 157, down slightly from the 160 reported on Friday, with 17 of those patients in critical condition, compared to 24 the day before, said Wu Qianyu, a senior official with the local health commission, during a press briefing on Saturday.

The surge in infections quelled speculation by some citizens that public health restrictions would be lifted soon.

“Controls on residential complexes should be strengthened to preserve the achievements that were made earlier,” Mayor Gong Zheng told officials during an inspection tour at central Shanghai’s Jingan district on Friday, according to a government statement. “We must try to avoid a rebound in new cases,” he said.