Shanghai emerges from lockdown that lasted more than two months – Chinese authorities worry about “imported” cases
Shanghai authorities have identified one case coronavirus concerning a new sub-variant of the Omicron BA.5, the Omicron BA.5.2.1as an official announced today in a press briefing, signaling the difficulties China is facing to manage new variants of the coronavirus as it implements its “zero cases” policy.
The case, which was detected in Pudong District on July 8, is linked to an overseas case, said Zhao Dandan, the deputy director of the city’s health commission.
Shanghai in the east China it emerged from a lockdown, which lasted about two months, in early June but continued to impose strict restrictions by quarantining buildings and apartment complexes as new possible chains of transmission emerged.
“Our city continues to record more positive cases from community transmission and the risk of epidemiological spread through society remains very high,” he warned.
According to Zhao, residents in several central Shanghai districts will be tested for the coronavirus in two rounds – from July 12 to 14 – in an effort to control new possible outbreaks of the virus.
The variation Omicron BA.5which is responsible for a new wave of cases abroad, was first detected in China on May 13 in a 37-year-old patient who had flown to Shanghai from Uganda, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The BA.5 variant was shown to have an accelerated transmission rate and improved immune evasion, he said Yuan Zheng’ana member of the city’s coronavirus prevention committee, speaking at today’s press briefing.
But he added that vaccination remains effective in preventing serious illness or death from BA.5.
RES-EMP
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