17 New COVID Cases, Shanghai Economy Slumps 13.7%

By Ned Kelly, July 18, 2022

Shanghai Health Commission reported a total of 3 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases this morning, Monday, July 18. A further 14 local asymptomatic cases were also reported.

Of the 3 new local cases reported, 3 tested positive during central quarantine, while 0 tested positive during regular screening.

Of the 14 new local asymptomatic cases reported, 14 tested positive during central quarantine, while 0 tested positive during regular screening.

Over the weekend, one new community case was reported in Songjiang District.

Shanghai economy shrinks...

Shanghai's economic output decreased 13.7% from a year earlier in the second quarter, the biggest contraction among all province-level regions, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Meanwhile, Shanghai's urban jobless rate rose to 12.5%, also the highest among all province-level regions.

April and May saw the city under a citywide lockdown, and effectively at a standstill. Service industries – including catering, entertainment and tourism – were the worst affected.

The economies of five out of China's 31 province-level regions shrank in the second quarter – including capital Beijing, which suffered its own lockdown woes.

Jiangsu, China's second-biggest province by economic output; Hainan, the island province popular among tourists; and Jilin, battered by protracted COVID curbs from March, were the other three province-level economies to contract.

The country saw 0.4% year-on-year growth at the national level in the second quarter, well short of the government's growth target of around 5.5% for 2022.

Shanghai wants you to get your booster shot...

With sporadic community infections reappearing in the city, authorities are encouraging people to get their COVID-19 booster shot. If you haven't had yours yet, here's how to sign up:

In other COVID news...

China’s travel code, used for checking the travel history of people in the country, now only checks the travel history of users over a 7-day period, as opposed to the previous 14-days:

That restrictive star symbol will no longer appear on the Travel Code app:

China has further eased restrictions for overseas arrivals into the country, with 7-day centralized quarantine plus 3-day ‘health monitoring’ at home (the ‘7+3’ policy) the norm:

A negative PCR test result obtained within the last 72 hours is currently a must in Shanghai should you wish to take part in 'normal life' – click the link below to find out where to get one:

Meanwhile, those Shanghai residents who do not do a PCR test within seven days of their last test will see their health code turn yellow:

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