Shanghai Enters Lockdown Amid Rising COVID-19 Cases

Beginning Monday, Shanghai entered a staggered nine-day lockdown becuse of rising COVID-19 infections.

While officials originally stated the financial hub must continue to operate, this staggered lockdown will allow half the city to keep functioning, according to the BBC. This will be China’s largest city-wide lockdown since the onset of the pandemic two years ago.

The eastern half of the city will commence its lockdown first, beginning Monday and ending April 1. The next lockdown wave will affect the rest of the city from April 1 to April 5.

Over 25 million people will be affected by this staggered lockdown, according to the BBC.

During the staggered lockdown, mass COVID-19 testing will occur. According to CNN, all residents must be screened to maintain a “green” health code in order to access grocery stores and other public areas.

As of Sunday, 14 million people have been tested after officials distributed rapid antigen tests to low-risk neighborhoods, according to CNN. For those presenting mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, indoor stadiums and exhibition centers have been converted into quarantine facilities to offset pressure on surrounding hospitals.

For more information, read the BBC here, and CNN here.

In other news:

Dallas County Health and Human Services director Dr. Phil Huang said a backlog in COVID-19 case reporting will continue as hospitals, labs, and the state’s health department catch up from the omicron-driven surge earlier this year. Read more from the Dallas Morning News here.

The FDA is expected to organize a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for those 50 and older. Read more from the Washington Post here.

Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine works for children under 6. Read more from the Dallas Morning News here.