China Covid-19 response team chief stands firm on long lockdown and strict measures in Shanghai

Name: Shanghai fences in residential buildings to combat Covid-19
Uploaded: 2022-04-29T11:30:24.000Z
Duration: 1 min 41 s
Description: Shanghai fences in residential buildings to combat Covid-19

Liang Wannian rules out individual responses for different parts of the country

The size and density of China’s biggest cities poses particular challenges in battling outbreaks, particular given the rapid spread of Omicron, Liang says

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A woman and a baby in quarantine look through the window of their apartment amid Covid-19 full lockdown in Shanghai, China, on April 27. Photo: EPA-EFE

Zhuang Pinghui

Published: 7:30pm, 29 Apr 2022Updated: 1:18pm, 31 May 2022

China’s senior adviser on the country’s Covid-19 response has sought to justify the prolonged lockdown and control measures in Shanghai, citing its large population and widespread community transmission.

Liang Wannian, head of the Covid-19 response expert panel under the National Health Commission, also ruled out any chance of supporting tailor-made strategies for different parts of the country, saying “dynamic clearance” was still key to China beating the Omicron variant.

Liang Wannian, head of the Covid-19 response expert panel, has ruled out any chance of supporting tailor-made strategies for different parts of the country. Photo: Simon Song

He said on Friday that in the fight against Covid-19 the covert and highly transmissible Omicron variant created substantial difficulty for megacities such as Shanghai and Beijing and imposed greater demands on testing and treatment programmes.

“Shanghai has a high population density and suffered widespread community spread, which is more difficult to prevent and control compared to an outbreak in a localised cluster. It will take longer and more effort. Screening strategies, such as nucleic acid testing and antigen testing, will take longer and be more frequent,” Liang said.

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Shanghai fences in residential buildings to combat Covid-19

China is fighting an unprecedented uphill battle against Covid-19 not only in scale – outbreaks are recorded in at least 17 provinces or provincial-level cities – but also because of the virus spread in China’s two most important cities, the financial hub Shanghai and the country’s political centre Beijing.