Three confirmed COVID-19 cases in downtown Shanghai

A residential neighborhood in Shanghai's downtown Huangpu district was categorized as a medium-risk area on Thursday after three local residents were reported as confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday morning, the Shanghai Health Commission said at a news briefing.

The first case is a 56-year-old man who is a logistics worker at the Shanghai Cancer Center Affiliated with Fudan University in Xuhui district. Contact tracing for this individual led to the discovery of another case, a 48-year-old female friend.

The other case is a 53-year-old man, who is a neighbor of the first case and works at the west branch of Renji Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University Medical School in Huangpu district.

Both hospitals suspended outpatient clinic services starting on Thursday. The Zhaotonglu residential neighborhood in Huangpu district where the three confirmed patients live has been categorized as a medium-risk area.

A total of 71 immediate close contacts of the three cases and 78 individuals who were in close contact with the close contacts have been placed in quarantine, said Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission.

More than 14,400 individuals have also undergone nucleic acid tests with no positive results reported so far, Wu added.