Coronavirus: Shanghai adds 73 new Covid-19 cases outside quarantine zones, putting societal zero-Covid goal further out of reach
- The increase in cases, from 58 a day earlier, follows two case-free days that had raised hopes about lockdown curbs
- However, overall progress on reducing infections continues, with new cases, symptomatic cases, and deaths all falling for multiple days in a row, according to data released on Tuesday
Shanghai’s daily new Covid-19 cases in unguarded zones rose for the second consecutive day, a worrying trend in the presumed low-risk zones that further clouds the outlook for any easing of the restrictions the mainland’s commercial capital has been living under since April 1.
Local officials had hoped to confine infections within quarantined areas. Instead, the local health commission detected 73 cases in the “precautionary zones” – those that have not had an infection in the previous 14 days and their neighbouring areas – up from 58 a day earlier.
“Rising infections in the unguarded zones prevented local authorities from announcing that Shanghai had achieved the societal zero-Covid goal,” said Meng Tianying, a senior executive at Shanghai-based consultancy Domo Medical. “It will take another few days for Shanghai to drastically ease lockdown although it has lasted for more than a month.”
The precautionary zones had recorded zero cases on both Saturday and Sunday, heightening hopes that the municipality would soon announce Shanghai had achieved the societal zero-Covid goal.
Shanghai has been aiming for that goal, which means reducing new cases in low-risk, unguarded zones to zero, since mid-April.
