MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Shanghai tightens up covid-19 restrictions

Green fences about two meters high have been placed around some housing complexes to ensure full lockdown is observed

Chinese authorities have tightened sanitary restrictions imposed on Shanghai residents due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 deaths and also of cases detected through mass testing, it was reported.

Swabbing also started this week in Beijing to keep the disease from spreading nationwide.

Shanghai Health Commission Deputy Director Zhao Dandan said the epidemic situation remained “serious and complex” in that city and stressed that the daily number of infections remains “high” after the announcement of 2,472 new positives and 16,983 asymptomatic cases detected Sunday.

There were 52 deaths Monday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 138 since declaring a mass lockdown a month ago, while 1,943 patients and 12,872 asymptomatic infections were discharged. No imported cases were reported Monday.

Zhao added that another round of tests will be conducted on its 25 million residents, while green fences about two meters high have been placed around some housing complexes to prevent residents from leaving their homes.

Of all local infections, 968 confirmed patients were previously asymptomatic. Another 675 confirmed patients and 15,120 asymptomatic cases were detected during central quarantine, while the rest were found in the screening of high-risk people.

The first 675 patients tested positive during central quarantine. The 676th to 693rd patients tested positive during the screening of high-risk people. The 694th to 1,661st patients used to be asymptomatic infections.

From February 26 to April 25, of all the 42,942 local confirmed cases, 18,982 have been discharged upon recovery, and 23,770 are still hospitalized, including 259 severe cases and 28 critical cases. And of all the 4,579 imported cases, 4,572 have been discharged upon recovery, and seven are still hospitalized.

With Shanghai's port closed, global shipping of goods has been seriously affected.