Covid curbs resulted in death in Shanghai, setting a new record
Key Takeaways:
- In a single day, the number of Covid cases in Shanghai increased by more than 60%, reaching a new high of 1,609 on Friday.
- Anyone in Shanghai who has not been tested for Covid has until 6 p.m. local time on Friday to do so or face movement restrictions, according to health officials.
Covid cases in Shanghai increased by more than 60% in a single day, reaching a new high of 1,609 on Friday, despite authorities tightening restrictions that have hampered access to food and medical care, with disastrous consequences.
According to a statement from Shanghai East Hospital in the city's Pudong district, Zhou Shengni died of asthma Wednesday night after being turned away from the hospital where she worked as a nurse.
Under Covid control rules, the emergency department was closed for disinfection, and she died in another hospital.
Hundreds of buildings and apartment blocks in the Chinese financial hub remained locked down as the outbreak spread, part of a wave testing China's zero-tolerance policy as the rest of the world lifted pandemic restrictions.
Residents struggle to get fresh food because some compounds refuse to let them leave, and getting medical care is becoming more difficult as some hospitals prioritize Covid patients and close out-patient services.
At a press conference on Friday, Wu Jinglei, the Shanghai Health Commission director, said, "We deeply mourn the unfortunate death." "Hospitals require Covid testing and disinfection, but they must also minimize the impact on regular services and ensure that patients' emergency needs are met."
According to health officials, anyone in Shanghai who has not been tested for Covid has until 6 p.m. local time on Friday to do so or face movement restrictions. The city will continue to test on a rolling basis to stop the virus from spreading.
Officials emphasized the importance of wearing a face mask, although masks are limited in their ability to stop omicron.
According to state television, China reported 4,790 new cases on Friday, including 3,489 people who had no symptoms. In Jilin, the number of new infections has surpassed 2,000. The health commission reported that 1,580 infections among Shanghai's 25 million residents were asymptomatic.
The situation highlights the difficulties officials face in implementing President Xi Jinping's dual goals of eradicating the virus while minimizing the Covid Zero strategy's economic and social costs.
While the nation is still using measures like hardcore lockdowns in some areas — residents in the northeastern province of Jilin are confined to their residences — the highly contagious omicron strain spread to China's most economically significant hubs has prompted a shift to more targeted approaches.
Shanghai officials have ruled out completely isolating the city, but portions of it will be sealed off and further tested in what some fear will result in a de facto lockdown of the financial hub.
The city intends to quarantine people with mild and asymptomatic infections in stadiums and exhibition centers, with facilities in Jiading and Minhang districts already being renovated. According to hotel staff, the Pudong Shangri-La, a luxury hotel in the heart of the financial district, began serving as a quarantined hotel this week.
Shanghai's top doctor hinted at a silver lining but cautioned that restrictions are unlikely to be lifted soon.
According to Zhang Wenhong, the city's chief Covid adviser and an infectious disease doctor, fewer than 10% of new cases come from non-restricted areas, indicating that community spread is gradually being brought under control.
It indicates that the turning point is approaching, but the city must continue to put itself to the test, he said at a press conference in Shanghai on Friday.
He claimed that Shanghai's response had kept caseloads from reaching the tens of thousands. "All of the existing restrictions — work from home, homeschooling, no dine-in — will not be enough to stop the virus's exponential spread unless we test thoroughly," he said.