In pics - Mass COVID-19 testing in Shanghai sparks lockdown fears
Lockdown fears
The strict lockdown rules implemented earlier in the year resulted in food shortages and unhygienic conditions for a number of people in Shanghai. As a result, the mass testing and rise in cases has caused panic among the citizens
Mass Testing
Most districts in Shanghai are going through two rounds of testing after a case of the new BA.5.2.1 subvariant was detected
BA.5 variant
The BA.5 variant, which is considered to be highly transmissible, is the reason behind the rise in cases all around the world and Chinese authorities have identified it as the main threat to their zero-Covid strategy
Massive heatwave
Shanghai has also been facing severe heatwaves along with the rising COVID-19 cases as the authorities raised the highest-level red alert with temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius
Areas of concern
While a citywide lockdown has not been enforced in Shanghai at present, official data said that 240 neighborhoods have currently been marked as medium- or high-risk areas
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