San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Shanghai to ease lockdown if tests find no new cases
China’s largest city of Shanghai will soon begin lifting lockdown in communities that report no positive cases within 14 days after another round of COVID-19 testing, authorities said Saturday.
The fresh round of testing comes as the city reported about 23,000 cases on Saturday, most of them asymptomatic. Large swathes of Shanghai, with a population of 26 million, have been under lockdown since March 28, leading to complaints from residents about shortages of food and basic necessities.
Separately, Guangzhou authorities announced that the city northwest of Hong Kong would also begin mass testing its 18 million residents, according to central broadcaster CCTV.
Under the new measures, areas in Shanghai will be classified as “precautionary,” “controlled” or “locked down,” depending on the results of the latest round of testing, Shanghai Vice Mayor Zong Ming said.
Residents in areas deemed to be “precautionary” with no infections within the last two weeks will be able to move around their district, although gatherings will still be restricted. Meanwhile, in “controlled” areas, residents can move around in their neighborhoods, which are smaller than districts, while “locked down” areas will require everyone to stay at home.
During the news conference, Zong choked up with emotion, saying that she was moved by the efforts of residents and front-line workers. “There is still a big gap from everyone’s expectations. We will do our best to improve it,” she said.
The city has built over 100 makeshift hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients with more than 160,000 beds.
But the harsh restrictions on movement have also tested residents’ patience. Many are struggling to obtain food and other essentials, with online vendors sold out and delivery services unable to keep up with demand.
China is facing one of its worst local outbreaks since the pandemic began. It is one of the only countries sticking to a “zero COVID” policy, taking drastic measures such as lockdowns and mass testing to identify and isolate every single case. China is still closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus.
Patrons wear masks at a Beijing shopping district. Although China is facing one of its worst outbreaks, the city of Shanghai is to lift lockdowns after another round of COVID-19 testing.
said Lauterbach.
Germany recently ended the requirement to wear masks in many indoor settings, though they are still compulsory on public transportation.
Lauterbach also urged people to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling to visit relatives over the Easter vacation.
New infections in Germany are on a downward trajectory, with 175,263 additional confirmed cases reported Friday — down from a recent peak of almost 300,000 a day. But there continued to be around 300 COVID-related deaths a day, Lauterbach said.
white-tie roast between journalists and presidential administrations, was held at the Renaissance Hotel. But a night of good-natured ribbing has devolved into an outbreak of cases among Washington’s elite, including members of Congress, members of the president’s Cabinet and journalists.
About 700 people were at the event, including the 628 guests seated in the ballroom, Gridiron organizers said. Attendees were required to show proof of vaccination but not a negative test result, and face masks were not required during the program. Among those who have publicly announced being infected with the virus after attending the dinner are Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo; Attorney General Merrick Garland; Valerie Biden Owens, the president’s sister; and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank. President Biden did not attend the dinner.
The development that cases
tied to the Gridiron dinner had surpassed 50 was first reported by the Washington Post.
So far, there are no reports of any symptoms more serious than a sore throat or mild fever, said Tom DeFrank, a contributing columnist for National Journal and president of the Gridiron Club. Members have been coming forward to notify the club of positive cases, and the club has been informing anyone who sat next to, across from or in proximity to an infected guest, DeFrank said.
This year’s event was the Gridiron dinner’s return after a two-year, pandemic-related absence. In 2020, the organization canceled the event just days before it was set to take place. That year, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, had accepted an invitation but later declined less than two weeks before the event at the start of the pandemic, DeFrank said.