Until the end of May, the city of Shanghai in China was under a strict lockdown (city blockade) to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection. It is beginning to spread to the city of 10,000 people.
Hospitals in the city were unable to keep up with the surge in patients, and pharmacies were running out of some medicines. Many companies have closed due to the infection of their employees, and most schools are closed. The use of public transport has also plummeted.
At Tongren Hospital, one of the city’s largest public hospitals, the intensive care unit (ICU) is filled with critically ill patients who are being treated in corridors. Dozens of apparently unwell people were seen waiting in line in the cold in front of the fever clinic. Several pharmacies near the hospital were closed because they were out of stock of cold and fever medicines.
Health officials said the situation was exacerbated by too many patients and the spread of infections among staff. In the past, people had to show a negative PCR test to enter the hospital, but the number of patients has increased following Shanghai stopped this rule.
news-rsf-original-reference paywall">Original title:Covid Surge Hits Shanghai With Crowded Hospitals, Empty Streets(excerpt)
