Half of nucleic acid test sites in Shanghai now operational

As of Wednesday, half of the nearly 9,000 nucleic acid testing sites in Shanghai have started operations,  the municipal government announced on Thursday.

Chen Shiyan, deputy director of the municipal development and reform commission, said that the test sites have been set up in a manner that all residents would be able to reach one within a 15-minute walk from their homes or offices.

To help residents locate the nearest test site, authorities have introduced a search function in the municipal government public affairs e-portal Sui Shen Ban.

Zhang Hongtao, an official with the municipal economic and informatization commission, said on Thursday that 70 percent of the 1,800 key enterprises in Shanghai — including those in the automobile, integrated circuit and biomedicine industries — have resumed operations.

Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the municipal health commission, said the city reported 261 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 4,390 asymptomatic cases and 13 deaths on Wednesday.

The city currently has 16.47 million people living in precautionary zones, 4.51 million in controlled zones, and 2.34 million in locked-down zones.