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Shanghai, as one of China’s major international gateways, has been urged to prepare for more imported cases and stretched hospitals. Photo: Reuters

Covid-19 outbreaks could get 10 times bigger, Shanghai disease expert warns

  • Huge risk of imported cases as world relaxes control measures against highly transmissible Omicron, Shanghai’s coronavirus strategy leader says
  • In written note to city lawmakers, Zhang Wenhong suggests that local authorities plan and hold drills in case of widespread outbreaks
Shanghai should prepare for Covid-19 outbreaks to become five to 10 times bigger, a health expert leading the Chinese megacity’s coronavirus battle has warned.
Infectious diseases expert Zhang Wenhong said the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and surge in global cases meant that Shanghai, as one of China’s major international gateways, should gear up for a rise in imported infections and stretched hospitals.
This came as the city on Monday reported 22 imported cases and one local infection – a worker handling imported goods in the cargo area at Pudong International Airport.

The worker was fully vaccinated and his biweekly routine Covid-19 test had come back negative on Thursday, authorities said. Neither passenger nor cargo operations have been affected.

Nearly 300 of his close contacts and their contacts had tested negative and been placed under quarantine, local officials said.

‘Don’t come back’: New Year reunions in limbo as China races to curb Covid-19

Shanghai health commission director Wu Jinglei encouraged residents not to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday. The city has banned entry for travellers from high-risk areas elsewhere in China.

Briefing the media on Monday, Wu said Shanghai had enough medical professionals, hospital spaces and equipment, and was ready to increase hospital bed capacity if needed.

This came after Zhang, leader of the panel overseeing Shanghai’s Covid-19 strategy, suggested that local authorities plan and hold drills to prepare for widespread outbreaks.

In suggestions put forward in writing to Shanghai’s annual “two sessions” legislative meetings, Zhang noted that the city had nearly 500 coronavirus patients in hospital at once during a spike in imported cases.
Zhang Wenhong says China faces a huge risk of imported infections. Photo: Weibo

He urged the city to boost capacity for quarantine, contact tracing, and mass testing services, as well as the supply of food and necessities in areas placed under lockdown.

China faced a huge risk of imported infections as the rest of the world relaxed control measures against Omicron, Zhang cautioned.

Shanghai has identified around 3,300 imported Covid-19 infections since the start of the pandemic. Infection from an imported case 10 days ago was believed to have given Shanghai its first symptomatic cases in a month.

City mayor Gong Zheng said a swift response had helped authorities to keep a lid on Covid-19 numbers, and there was no need to launch universal testing.

“Medical professionals arrive at the scene in two hours, conclude core investigations in four hours and complete testing, isolation and employing zonal Covid-19 control in 24 hours,” he said, adding that 94 per cent of Shanghai’s 25 million residents had been vaccinated.

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Shanghai remains optimistic amid China's recent Covid-19 outbreak

Shanghai remains optimistic amid China's recent Covid-19 outbreak

Chinese authorities categorise Covid-hit areas as high-, medium- or low-risk based on the severity of the outbreak, with rules to match.

China reported 18 local infections on Monday, including six in the capital Beijing, host of the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Three cases each were detected in Yunnan and Hebei provinces, and one each in the northern port city of Tianjin – a short hop from Beijing, Anyang in Henan province, and the southern coastal city of Zhuhai in Guangdong.

Three local cases in Shandong and Shanxi provinces have been traced to a cold storage plant in Beijing, where two workers were found infected last week. An asymptomatic case in Shandong was also linked to the same plant.

Nationwide, 61 imported cases were reported, 22 of those asymptomatic.

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