The United States has ordered non-essential employees of its consulate in Shanghai to leave the city amid an outbreak and strict containment measures in the metropolis, the US embassy said on Tuesday.
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China’s economic capital is facing its biggest surge in cases since the start of the pandemic. Authorities have locked down almost all of the 25 million residents and are placing those who test positive in quarantine centres.
It is in this context that the US State Department has “ordered the departure (of its personnel) due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic”, said a spokesperson for the Embassy of the United States. United in a statement.
American diplomats have also informed the Chinese authorities “of their concerns regarding the safety and well-being of American citizens”, specifies the text.
China is one of the last countries in the world to implement a strict zero-COVID strategy.
It consists of several measures: confinements as soon as a few cases appear, separation of people who test positive from the rest of the population, visas issued drop by drop, quarantine on arrival in the territory or even tracing of movements.
China’s health ministry reported more than 23,000 new positive cases in Shanghai on Tuesday.
Almost all of its 25 million inhabitants are still confined to their homes, with some having difficulty recovering food.
Many of those who tested positive were also placed in solitary confinement in large quarantine centers set up in exhibition halls or prefabricated structures.
Last week, the US embassy had already indicated that it was “allowing” non-essential consulate employees to leave Shanghai. She had also felt that US citizens risked facing “arbitrary enforcement” of anti-COVID restrictions.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com