Shanghai reports 10 new cases in current wave

Shanghai reported three new locally transmitted COVID-19 confirmed cases and seven asymptomatic cases on Sunday, bringing the total infections in the city's current wave to 74, the municipal government said on Sunday.

Nine of the 10 new cases were close contacts of the cases reported on Saturday. These nine cases and six reported on Saturday were workers at the same hotel where inbound travelers are quarantined.

The nine cases, including three confirmed cases, were put under hotel quarantine on Saturday and tested positive afterward.

The other newly reported case was a worker at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, who tested positive during a regular round of screening for those working in high-risk positions.

Huating Hotel, the quarantine hotel involving the cases, on North Caoxi Road in Xuhui district was categorized as a medium-risk area for the virus' spread, the city government announced.

As of 4 pm Sunday, 401 close contacts, 444 secondary close contacts, and more than 70,400 individuals related to the cases had been identified in Shanghai and subjected to quarantine and control measures. All nucleic acid test results obtained so far are negative.

Wang Hongwei, vice-governor of Xuhui district, said all public venues within the district, including hotels, shopping malls and supermarkets will step up epidemic prevention measures, including measuring visitors' temperature, checking their health QR codes, reminding them to wear masks and more frequent disinfection.

Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said the current wave in the city involves the Omicron variant, which leads to a rising number of asymptomatic but still infectious cases.

"All the asymptomatic cases must undergo medical observation at the designated hospital in the city and can only be discharged after they test negative for the virus twice. They must obey self-health monitoring at home for two weeks afterward," he said.