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China is conducting a phased lockdown of its largest city this week as part of the country’s draconian “zero-COVID” strategy to try to stem the biggest surge in the coronavirus since the pandemic began.
On Monday, Shanghai’s Pudong financial district and all areas east of the Huangpu River will go into lockdown for five days as officials begin mass testing of residents.
The area west of the Huangpu River will then be closed for five days on Friday.
Residents wearing face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus queue outside a supermarket at night to buy groceries, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Shanghai, China. (Associated Press)
Public transport will be suspended, non-essential businesses will be closed and all residents will be required to stay home for the duration of the lockdown.
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Shanghai, the third-largest city in the world, reported 2,631 new asymptomatic cases and 47 cases with symptoms on Saturday, according to government data.
A delivery man walks past police officers wearing protective suits in front of a hotel in Shanghai, China, 15 March 2022. (Associated Press)
It’s the first full-scale lockdown for Shanghai, a city of 26 million that serves as China’s financial hub.
Wu Zunyou, an infectious disease expert at the China Center for Disease Control, said this week that China will try to “achieve dynamic zero COVID in the short term, as it is still the most economical and effective prevention strategy against COVID-19.” “
A woman undergoes a coronavirus test at an outdoor testing site in Beijing, China, Monday March 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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“Only through dynamic zero-COVID can we eliminate the hidden dangers of the epidemic, avoid the rush on medical resources that large-scale infection can cause, and prevent a large number of possible deaths among the elderly or those with underlying diseases. ‘ Wu said on Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.