1650238811 Shanghai sets target of zero COVID cases by Wednesday

Shanghai sets target of zero COVID cases by Wednesday

Latest News / By /

Shanghai is reportedly aiming to have zero COVID-19 cases outside of its quarantine centers by Wednesday, which could mark a turning point for the city’s strict “no tolerance” lockdowns that have increasingly frustrated residents.

The target will allow the city to further ease its lockdown and return to normal life, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

To meet the goal on Wednesday, officials will speed up COVID testing and transferring infected residents to quarantine centers, according to a speech by a local Communist Party official.

Workers in hazmat suits disinfect an old residential area locked down amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Shanghai, China, April 15, 2022. Shanghai is aiming to have no COVID-19 cases outside its designated quarantine centers by Wednesday REUTERS/Aly Song

Local residents stand on a street waiting for a nucleic acid test during the lockdown amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Shanghai, China, April 17, 2022. Shanghai imposed strict lockdowns in response to an outbreak caused by the Omicron variant. REUTERS

A child receives a swab test for the Covid-19 coronavirus at a complex during a Covid-19 lockdown in Pudong district of Shanghai, April 17, 2022.Officials in Shanghai will expedite COVID testing and transfer of infected residents to quarantine centers LIU JIN/AFP via Getty Images

Shanghai imposed strict lockdowns in response to an outbreak caused by the Omicron variant. Since the spike began in early March, the city has counted 320,000 cases.

Under the “No Tolerance” policy, only healthcare workers, volunteers, delivery staff and those with special permission can move freely.

The strict rules mean quarantined residents must order groceries or wait for government deliveries of vegetables, meat and eggs, the BBC reported.

Workers in hazmat suits are seen at a residential area under lockdown amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Shanghai, China, 15 April 2022. Under Shanghai’s strict lockdown, only healthcare workers, volunteers, delivery workers and those with special permits can move freely.REUTERS/Aly Song

Residents queue in Beijing on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 to get their throat swab at a coronavirus testing site. China has dispatched more than 10,000 health workers to Shanghai from across the country, including 2,000 military medics, to contain a fast-spreading COVID-19 outbreak in China's largest city.Shanghai residents recently spoke to officials about the strict lockdown measures AP/Andy Wong

FILE PHOTO: Residents queue for nucleic acid tests during a lockdown amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Shanghai, China, April 16, 2022. Residents in quarantine centers say they have not received enough supplies for the lockdown.REUTERS/Aly Song

However, frustrated Shanghai residents have taken to social media to vent their anger at the shortage of food and other items.

Recordings posted on Twitter showed people in the lockdown city banging pots on their balconies and chanting, “We want supplies,” France24 reported.

“We want supplies,” the quarantined residents are said to have chanted.

With mail wires