Shanghai records four new confirmed cases

Shanghai reported four new confirmed COVID-19 cases and two asymptomatic infections on Friday.

A total of 489 primary contacts and 187 secondary contacts have been identified and put under quarantine. All underwent nucleic acid tests and the results were negative as of 4 pm Friday.

The new infections were found in Hongkou, Baoshan, Jing'an and Fengxian districts, and two cases have been to the same Suning shopping mall in Wujiaochang, Yangpu district.

The shopping mall and four neighborhoods were classified as medium-risk zones and residential compounds in related areas have been locked down.

Zhao Dandan, deputy director of Shanghai Health Commission, said the continuous emergence of new infections has shown that hidden transmission chains still existed outside controlled area.

"The new cases were found within the maximum incubation period of 14 days since the city's resumption of work from June 1, so the new cases might have been infected before that time," Zhao said.

"Besides, we still cannot exclude that a few people haven't taken testing as required and were screened out by the regular testing when they needed a test to go to work. There's also possibility of them getting infected in a contaminated environment," Zhao added.

Massive nucleic acid tests will be carried out on the weekend in Pudong, Huangpu, Jing'an, Xuhui, Hongkou, Baoshan, and Minhang districts, which have reported infections since June 1, to help identify the hidden transmission chains, said the health authority.

Officials said the screening tests are scheduled on weekends to minimize impacts on the residents' work and life. For those still in locked down compounds, community workers will do their best to serve their daily necessities, respond to needs from seniors, patients and students.

Also on Friday, the city saw off two intensive medical care teams coming from Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. The teams are the last batches to come to assist Shanghai's treatment of COVID-19 patients during the latest wave.