Beijing's new Covid test guideline, South Africa's 5th wave worry
Key Takeaways:
- Residents in Beijing are now subject to stricter Covid-19 restrictions, while cases in Shanghai are gradually decreasing.
- According to the AFP news agency, the Beijing government has made a negative Covid-19 test requirement for residents to enter public places.
- Experts fear that South Africa may be entering a fifth Covid wave after a sustained increase in infections over the past 14 days.
While cases in Shanghai are gradually decreasing, residents in Beijing are now subject to stricter Covid-19 restrictions. According to reports, to avoid a repetition of the Shanghai outbreak, authorities in the Chinese capital have made a negative Covid-19 test mandatory for anyone entering a public place as of May 5.
South Korea will join the list of Southeast Asian countries that have abolished mask laws in public places. Meanwhile, cases in South Africa are on the rise once more, raising fears of a fifth Covid outbreak.
The following are the eight updates on the global Covid-19 situation.
1. According to the AFP news agency, the Beijing government has made a negative Covid-19 test requirement for residents to enter public places. As per the notice on the city's official WeChat page, starting May 5, a negative Covid test - taken within the last week - will be required to enter "all types of public areas and take public transportation." According to the new rules, participants in activities such as sporting events and group travel will also have to offer a negative Covid test taken within 48 hours, as well as proof of "full vaccination."
2. According to the Associated Press, Beijing reported 67 new infections on Saturday, bringing the city's total to well almost 300 since April 22. Faced with fears of the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreading, Chinese officials have reaffirmed their zero-Covid policy, focusing on mass testing and lockdowns to suffocate virus clusters.
3. According to Reuters, China's eastern commercial district of Shanghai reported 38 new symptomatic Covid-19-related deaths on Saturday, compared to 47 deaths the day before. On Saturday, the city reported a one-day spike of 7,084 asymptomatic cases as well as 788 symptomatic cases. For the first time since the outbreak, Shanghai reported zero symptomatic cases outside its quarantined areas on Friday.
4. In Europe, Germany saw 1,01,610 new cases and 214 new deaths linked to the virus on Friday. On Friday, the country's total death toll stood at 135,292. Saturday's Covid-19 data has yet to be released.
5. Face masks will be required in public places and indoor venues in Italy until June 15. "Masks will still be required to enter cinemas, theatres, indoor events, and hospitals," Health Minister Roberto Speranza stated, adding that the government plans to be cautious in lifting the remaining restrictions as the number of cases drops.
6. Meanwhile, South Korea's government has announced that the outdoor face mask mandate will be lifted on Monday as the country's Covid restrictions are eased. After the Covid wave in March subsided, the country eased several other restrictions in April.
7. Following a sustained increase in infections over the past 14 days, experts fear that South Africa could be entering a 5th Covid wave. According to Reuters, health officials and scientists said on Friday that the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants appear to be driving the surge. Only in January of this year did South Africa experience the fourth wave.
8. According to a Reuters tally, coronavirus has infected more than 510.98 million people worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic. The total number of people who have died worldwide has now reached 6,633,596. Since the 1st cases were found in China in December 2019, infections have been reported in over 210 countries and territories.