Shanghai districts face mass COVID testing round during July 26-28

Shanghai ordered residents across nine of the city’s districts and some smaller areas to do COVID-19 tests over July 26-28, the city government said on Monday, as sporadic local cases kept emerging in the Chinese commercial hub.

Shanghai lifted a two-month lockdown in June but has registered double-digits daily cases in recent weeks.

Officials rely on repeated mass testing rounds to identify infections they quickly quarantine to prevent further spread, in line with China’s “dynamic zero” strategy that demands each flare-up be contained as quickly as possible.

The fresh testing drive, during which residents in the districts must go through two COVID-19 tests over the three-day period, came after several similar ones earlier this month. City-wide, residents have to get tested at least once a week to maintain access to public venues and transports.