Shanghai Cases Rise to 6, Downtown Area Upgraded to Medium-Risk

Shanghai reported six new locally transmitted coronavirus cases on Thursday, the Shanghai Health Commission announced this morning.

Case No. 1 is a 56-year-old male who lives in Huangpu district, and was discovered after routine testing of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center’s outsourcing logistics staff. 

Case No. 2 is a 53-year-old male, a neighbor living in the same community as Case No. 1, and was discovered after routine testing of hospital-related personnel of Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. 

Case No. 3 is a 48-year-old female, a friend of Case No. 1, who tested positive when his close contacts were screened. Case No. 4, a resident of Huangpu district, is a relative of Case No. 3. 

Case No. 5 is a returned overseas Chinese student who was temporarily living in the hotel that Case No. 2 works at in Huangpu district. Case No. 6 works in Huangpu district and is a colleague of Case No. 2.

Additionally, officials in Baoshan district announced this afternoon that suspected COVID-19 cases were detected during nucleic acid tests conducted today. Clinical and lab checks have been arranged and contact-tracing is underway.

READ MORE: China Records First Coronavirus Death Since May as Cases Surge

So far, 74 close contacts of the six confirmed cases have been put under quarantine and observation at designated places.

The residential area of Zhaotong Lu in Huangpu district (an area south of Fuzhou Lu) has now been classified as a medium-risk.

Image via Shine

The risk level of other areas in Shanghai remains unchanged, as of press time. 

The cases led to outpatient services at the two hospitals being suspended yesterday, and the cordoning off of the areas surrounding them. The cordoned off areas can be seen in the video below (VPN off):

Community testing in Shanghai. Image via Shine.

Images circulating on social media also showed Renji Hospital being set up to test all staff, with similar situations in hospitals across Shanghai.

Testing set up in Renji Hospital. Image via WeChat.

Shanghai also found three imported COVID-19 cases from overseas on Thursday, all Chinese nationals returning from abroad.

The government has appealed to people not to travel over the Chinese New Year period due to new COVID-19 outbreaks.

READ MORE: What is China’s New 14+7 Day Extended Quarantine Policy?

[Cover image via NIAID-RML]