Shanghai's Pudong Airport Outbreak Traced to Overseas Sources

The Chinese mainland recorded just one new local COVID-19 cases on Monday, after recording zero on Sunday for the first time since the current outbreak began on July 20, according to a daily report by China’s National Health Commission on Tuesday. The local case was in Henan Province.

READ MORE: Zero Local Cases Reported for First Time Since Outbreak Began

The news comes as the Shanghai Pudong International Airport outbreak, which saw five cases reported on Friday and Saturday, was confirmed to have been from overseas sources, and not connected to the current outbreak in other Chinese cities.

None of the five cases had left Shanghai within 14 days before they were confirmed with infection, they had no contact history with people from high- or medium-risk regions from other cities, and had no contact with the cold chain before they became ill.

They were infected by the hyper-contagious Delta variant due to being exposed to people or environments bearing the overseas virus due to their haphazard pandemic prevention measures, authorities concluded.

Travelers departing from Pudong International Airport now have to provide nucleic acid test reports before boarding their aircraft, or receive on-site testing after landing at multiple domestic cities. Passengers departing from Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport do not need to take the test.

There are now five medium-risk areas in Shanghai; four in Pudong, and one in Songjiang District. 

All 31 provincial-level regions in the Chinese mainland have urged citizens not to leave the provinces where they live unless it is necessary, and to avoid medium and high-risk areas for COVID-19, with enhanced prevention and control measures, including quarantine, for those that have.

READ MORE: Updated Quarantine Rules for Arrivals to Shanghai

China has identified four high-risk and 54 medium-risk areas at the time of publication. Scan the QR to find out where they are, and see the latest numbers:

China’s National Health Commission also recorted 34 new imported cases on Monday, including nine in Shanghai, eight in Guangdong, seven in Zhejiang, four in Yunnan, two each in Fujian and Sichuan, and one each in Tianjin and Shaanxi.

No deaths related to COVID-19 were reported, the commission added.

[Cover image via NIAID-RML]