US embassy says it’s taking concerns over Covid-19 controls ‘directly’ to Chinese officials
- Quarantine, mass testing, possible family separation among issues being raised by ambassador and other diplomats in China, according to statement
- ‘We are actively working with and assisting our citizens experiencing disruptions, particularly in Shanghai and Jilin,’ it says
In a statement to American citizens on Wednesday, the embassy said ambassador Nicholas Burns and other diplomats in China were taking concerns “directly” to Chinese officials over measures such as “residential quarantines, mass testing, closures, transportation disruptions, lockdowns, and possible family separation”.
“We are actively working with and assisting our citizens experiencing disruptions related to recent Covid-19 outbreaks in China, particularly in the areas of Shanghai and Jilin,” the embassy said.
Extra staff have been deployed throughout China, including to the embassy in Beijing as well as US consulates in Shanghai, Shenyang, Guangzhou and Wuhan “to support American citizens”.
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It comes after reports emerged of children, some of them babies, being separated from their parents after testing positive in Shanghai, which authorities said was part of its Covid-19 isolation policy.