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Amid lockdown, Shanghai achieves 'zero-Covid' in all districts

ShanghaiEdited By: Rustam RoyUpdated: May 17, 2022, 08:44 PM IST
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Photograph:(Reuters)

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China has stuck to its "zero Covid" policy shutting down entire cities with just a few virus cases, however, the move has been criticised by international agencies since it has led to economic slowdown and supply change issues.

Authorities in Shanghai declared the city had achieved "zero-Covid" across all its districts amid the lockdown.

The latest development comes as residents continue to remain in lockdown which was put in place last month as health officials conducted several rounds of mass testing.

The country has been hit by the Omicron variant in the past three months after struggling to contain the Delta outbreak last year.

Chinese officials said all sixteen districts in Shanghai were Covid-free as the mayor said the city would reopen gradually. However, reports claim over 3 million people are still under strict lockdown even as airlines resumed their domestic operations.

The city witnessed the worst outbreak since the Wuhan virus outbreak in early 2020 which had led to the worldwide pandemic.

Watch: Drop in Omicron cases in Shanghai

China has stuck to its "zero Covid" policy shutting down entire cities with just a few virus cases, however, the move has been criticised by international agencies since it has led to economic slowdown and supply change issues.

Officials in Beijing had conducted similar mass testing in the capital last month amid a virus surge as people rushed to buy essential supplies fearing a Shanghai-like lockdown.

Chinese health officials said they had identified the  Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 which is already pravelent in the United States.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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