Shanghai reported Sunday 39 deaths from Covid-19its highest figure despite weeks of confinement, and Beijing said the situation in the capital was “difficult” after a increase in infections.
The cosmopolitan business hub Shanghai has been under a near-total lockdown since early April, a move that has hit supply chains across the country.
Chinathe world’s second largest economy, has struggled to eradicate its worst outbreak of Covid-19 in two years with severe lockdowns and massive testing. It maintains a zero Covid policy that has impacted the economy and the mood of the population.
Shanghai, China’s largest city, recorded its first deaths on April 18 despite detecting thousands of cases daily in recent weeks.
Data of the China National Health Commission They indicated that 39 people died on Sunday in Shanghai, bringing to 87 the total in recent days in the city, which registered almost 22,000 new coronavirus infections.
The highest number of deaths in one day had occurred on Saturday, with 12.
Meanwhile, Beijing reported 22 new infections, following warnings from a senior official in the capital that the city must take urgent action.
The city of 25 million people has struggled to supply food to those confined, and many residents report problems accessing regular medical care.
In Beijing, another 22 infections were registered on Sunday and the capital closed a housing complex in the center of the city.
the health officer Pang Xing Huo He said preliminary observations suggest that Covid-19 has “spread invisibly” in the capital for a week, affecting “schools, tour groups and many families.”
“The risk of continued and hidden transmission is high and the situation is difficult,” Tian Wei of the Beijing Municipality told reporters.
“The entire city must act immediately,” he added.
Many of the gyms in the capital are closed.
Beijing has also imposed strict entry controls into the city. Travelers are required to have a negative Covid test of less than 48 hours and people who have traveled to cities or counties in which a single case of Covid has been registered in the last two weeks are prohibited from entering.