It has only been 10 days since Shanghai lifted the lockdown. Large-scale nucleic acid screening (PCR) will be conducted this weekend, showing signs of a normalized lockdown of the epidemic. This move not only disturbs the public, but may also affect business activities.
Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said on Thursday (9th) that due to the discovery of a small number of cases in the community, nucleic acid screening will be carried out in Pudong New District, Huangpu District, Jing’an District, Xuhui District, Hongkou District, Baoshan District, Minhang District and other areas over the weekend. Inspection, to achieve “not one household, not one person”, “should be inspected.”
Among the 16 municipal districts in Shanghai, several other municipal districts also announced similar plans that day. For example, the Office of the Leading Group for Epidemic Prevention and Control in Changning District stated that it will carry out nucleic acid screening for all staff on Saturday, and implement community (unit) closed management during the sampling period.
Jinshan District has also decided to conduct nucleic acid screening for all employees every Saturday, June 11, 18, and 25, and to ensure that “no one household is missed and no one is left behind.”
Shanghai government officials said there were six new local confirmed cases in the community on Thursday, and the original community was cleared to zero.
The announcements surprised and disturbed the people of Shanghai, with some on Weibo asking about the impact of the screening on weekend plans, such as moving house and medical treatment, and many worrying that the government would impose another lockdown.
In Shanghai’s Minhang District, a man surnamed Zhou said that even though Shanghai loosened its blockade on June 1, he still never stopped hoarding civilian materials such as rice and meat, and was prepared for the government’s order not to go out.
“Judging by the subway crowds, it’s only a matter of time before the virus returns, and in a way it feels like we’re back in March,” he said.
As other countries try to coexist with the virus, despite China’s low rate of confirmed cases, the government has pushed for a “dynamic zero” policy, which it says is necessary to protect the elderly and the healthcare system.