Shanghai reports seven new COVID-19 cases

Shanghai reported three new locally transmitted COVID-19 confirmed cases and four asymptomatic cases on Wednesday, with all of them being close contacts of the local case that was reported on Tuesday.

The seven new cases – all women aged between 58 and 66 – and the 56-year-old case reported on Tuesday are from the same amateur dancing troupe that gathers regularly at the Shiquan Community Cultural Activity Center on Ningqiang Road in Putuo district, which was classified as medium-risk area on Tuesday.

Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said that the seven women tested positive during hotel quarantine and are all in stable condition.

As of 4 pm Wednesday, 165 close contacts, 543 secondary close contacts, and more than 87,000 individuals related to the cases have been identified and subjected to related quarantine and control measures.

"Preliminary sequencing tests have indicated that the case reported on Tuesday has the Omicron variant," said Wu.

The city's health authority on Wednesday reiterated the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19.

As of Tuesday, nearly 22.5 million residents in Shanghai had received two doses of the vaccine, and more than 11 million had received their booster shots.