Nucleic acid test rush on for festival

WITH the Spring Festival approaching, many people in the city are having nucleic acid tests so that they can go back to their hometowns.

According to the current national regulation, people who want to return to their rural hometown from January 28 to March 8 should have a negative test result for COVID-19 within seven days of their departure. Some provinces and cities have stricter and different rules to prevent cross-infection.

A 19-year-old student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, surnamed Huang, is one of the many who have had a test. The Jiangxi Province native was focusing on academic programs.

But yesterday morning, she spent around 15 minutes at Ruijin Hospital in Huangpu District for a nucleic acid test so she could go back home and enjoy the vacation with her parents and relatives. “Although I will leave the city tonight, the time is still enough because I can get the result online this afternoon,” Huang said.

There were also some returnees taking the tests. An ayi (domestic helper) surnamed Song returned to Shanghai on Thursday. She had been to Henan Province for her son’s wedding on Wednesday.

“My employer needs me during the festival which is always a busy time for us, so I came back immediately,” Song said.

“Based on the strict controls in place, I don’t feel nervous about what happens these days in China but to reassure my employer and also myself, I took the test today,” she said.

Under staff guidance, people lined up in an orderly manner at Ruijin Hospital yesterday. When the number of people increased at 10am, a new window for testing was opened, with three windows in total.

More than 460 samples were collected in the morning.

Other hospitals have also prepared for the possible increase in the number of people, with Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Hongkou District saying it has worked out an emergency plan.