Coronavirus: e-commerce hub Hangzhou’s shopping centres put on high alert for possible infected travellers from Shanghai

Name: China deploys People’s Liberation Army in Shanghai to aid Covid-19 crisis
Uploaded: 2022-04-06T13:30:23.000Z
Duration: 2 min 4 s
Description: China deploys People’s Liberation Army in Shanghai to aid Covid-19 crisis

Local authorities reported several cases of Covid-19 at the popular shopping centres of Raffles City Hangzhou, InTime City and Hangzhou Mixc

Raffles City Hangzhou was locked down from Tuesday night to early Wednesday morning amid concerns about possible infected travellers from Shanghai

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The temporary lockdown at Raffles City Hangzhou illustrates how shopping centres have become high-risk locations for potential Covid-19 transmission in the city of 12.2 million residents. Photo: Shutterstock

Yaling Jiang

Published: 9:30pm, 6 Apr 2022Updated: 11:41pm, 11 Apr 2022

One of the largest shopping centres at e-commerce hub Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, was temporarily locked down for several hours during China’s Ching Ming Festival amid concerns over possible infected travellers from Covid-19-hit Shanghai.

Around 1,000 people, including customers and employees of Raffles City Hangzhou’s shopping centre, were locked down on site from 8pm on Tuesday to 2am on Wednesday after it was found that two female travellers from Shanghai spent some time at the property, according to information provided by employees of five tenants and some shoppers who were there, as well as related posts on Chinese social media.

The lockdown illustrates how shopping centres have become high-risk locations for potential Covid-19 transmission in the city of 12.2 million residents, as the Chinese government attempts to control new outbreaks across the mainland. Shanghai recorded 17,007 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, as its local government kept the city of 25 million residents locked down for a second week.

During this year’s three-day public holiday from April 3 to 5, Hangzhou recorded 16 asymptomatic cases, according to recently released local government information. It also said several cases of Covid-19 were reported at the shopping centres of InTime City and Hangzhou Mixc.

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China deploys People’s Liberation Army in Shanghai to aid Covid-19 crisis

“The authorities conducted a round of nucleic acid testing at Raffles City Hangzhou, and the process was completed by the early morning of April 6, 2022,” a spokeswoman for the property said in emailed statement on Wednesday. “Deep cleaning and disinfection of the property was also completed last night. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take the necessary precautionary measures in line with guidelines from the authorities.”

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