Shanghai steps up virus fight

Vice-Premier Sun urges swift action, utmost efforts to quickly curb outbreak

Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan urged resolute and swift action to control the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai in the shortest time possible, during an inspection visit to the city on Saturday.

Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, underlined that Shanghai must implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, on pandemic prevention and control.

Shanghai must adhere to the dynamic zero-COVID approach, and mobilize all of its testing capacity, medical personnel and COVID-19 prevention supplies to support the fight against the epidemic, she said.

Sun said that each of Shanghai's 25 million residents must undergo nucleic acid tests during citywide mass testing. All infected people who are not in a serious condition can go to a fangcang, or makeshift, hospital for treatment.

The number of makeshift hospitals and designated hospitals for COVID-19 treatment should be expanded, she said, adding that preparation of sufficient quarantine venues and swift transfer and treatment of patients is also needed.

Epidemic control measures in communities must be further strengthened, while people's basic living and medical needs should be ensured, Sun said.