Shanghai admits shortcomings in handling COVID-19 outbreak

Shanghai vice mayor admits shortcomings in handling outbreak COVID-19 of the city when it recorded 23,600 new cases on April 9.

Deputy Mayor Zong Ming praised the public’s support and the work of frontline workers despite public criticism for the strict restrictions, but said that the epidemic response needs to be improved.

“We feel the same way about the issues people have raised and spoken out about. We’re still not fully done and there’s still a big gap to everyone’s expectations. We will try our best to improve,” – CNA quoted Ms. Zong as saying at a meeting on April 9.

Beijing intervened after the failure of Shanghai’s initial attempt to stamp out the virus with a phased lockdown, insisting that China adhere to its policy zero-COVID to help the health system not be overwhelmed.

In another development on April 9, the megacity of Guangzhou – home to more than 18 million people – said it would start testing in all 11 districts of the city, one day after cases were reported here. before.

In Beijing, the city government has sealed off a high-risk area after eight COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the past two weeks, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention. , said.

In Shanghai, where 26 million people are under lockdown, food shortages continue due to a lack of carriers and uncertainty about when the blockade will end.

The Chinese government will conduct more testing and will ease some movement restrictions. Some residents of housing complexes with no recent cases said they had been informed by the neighborhood committee that they could leave their homes for a walk.

However, that also does not signal a change in the anti-epidemic approach of China. Shanghai Vice Mayor Zong Ming said: “Epidemic prevention is now at the most critical moment, and we cannot accept even the slightest laxity.”