INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Shanghai residents may see another round of lockdown as the COVID-19 cases in China continue to soar amid the spread of a subvariant of
omicron. The current wave of COVID-19 cases in the city is caused by the Omicron BA.5 variant, which was first detected in China on May 13
The patient was a 37-year-old male patient who had flown into Shanghai from Uganda, The Washington Post reported. On Monday, local
government officials in the city of Shanghai deemed 37 streets to be at medium risk of COVID-19 transmission and one street designated high
While city officials have yet to impose an official lockdown, the classification means residents would not be allowed to leave their homes
as part of the city&s efforts to curb the spread of the virus, the report said. The Shanghai government will also conduct PCR tests for all
residents living in nine of the city&s 16 districts, according to a statement posted on the social media app WeChat as first reported by the
Washington Post. City officials have not yet given a clear indication of whether they plan to put Shanghai in lockdown any time soon
However, some residents said Shanghai officials in March also initially denied reports of a possible lockdown before putting one in place
Many are now rushing to stores to stock up on goods, the International Business Times reported. During the last lockdown in March, the
city&s 25 million residents struggled to buy food or secure basic health care
The city&s mental health hotline also received triple the number of usual calls, with as many as 2 in 5 residents reporting symptoms of
depression. So far, there is no evidence that the BA.5 subvariant can cause more severe illnesses among patients
However, it is the most contagious COVID-19 variant so far and is thought to be even more transmissible than other Omicron variants,
International Business Times reported. Reports of a possible lockdown come after health officials Sunday announced they have detected a new
COVID-19 subvariant, Omicron BA.5.2.1, in the financial district of Pudong
The new subvariant was linked to a case from overseas, Zhao Dandan, vice director of the city&s health commission said in a briefing. The
post Second Shanghai lockdown possible as China sees surge in COVID cases first appeared on Ariana News.
