A day after authorities in Macau mass-tested all its 700,000 residents, a second round of Covid-19 RT-PCR testing was announced Wednesday. The mass testing spree, prompted by the emergence of new Covid-19 cases at a major casino in Macau last weekend underlines the adoption of China’s zero-Covid policy that seeks to ensure absence of Covid-19 cases in China.&nbsp;

The second round of mass testing has been scheduled for all 700,000 residents of Macau on Friday and Saturday.

Earlier on Sunday, authorities in Macau locked down MGM China’s Cotai casino resort with nearly 1500 guests and staff directed to stay inside for three days. It is not immediately clear if they were released after the first round of testing on Tuesday.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-covid-chaos-shanghai-government-bars-people-from-entering-and-exiting-disney-park-529933">China Covid Chaos: Shanghai government bars people from entering and exiting Disney park</a>

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After a three-month long duration of virtually no Covid cases, Macau reported 11 new infections last week. Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, saw the return of Covid-related curbs with the discovery of new cases last week, prompting worries for casino executives and investors.&nbsp;

In mainland China, the authorities directed the closure of Disney’s Shanghai resort to contain Covid infections this week. Meanwhile, workers at Zhengzhou’s Foxconn plant, China’s biggest iPhone-making unit, started fleeing to their native places to escape strict Covid restrictions in place. The Foxconn facility was locked down due to a Covid outbreak on campus, leading to a major disruption in production. Authorities Wednesday imposed a seven-day lockdown of the area that houses the Foxconn plant, an order that could hit the iPhone assembler’s shipments.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A day after authorities in Macau mass-tested all its 700,000 residents, a second round of Covid-19 RT-PCR testing was announced Wednesday. The mass testing spree, prompted by the emergence of new Covid-19 cases at a major casino in Macau last weekend underlines the adoption of China’s zero-Covid policy that seeks to ensure absence of Covid-19 cases in China.

A day after authorities in Macau mass-tested all its 700,000 residents, a second round of Covid-19 RT-PCR testing was announced Wednesday. The mass testing spree, prompted by the emergence of new Covid-19 cases at a major casino in Macau last weekend underlines the adoption of China’s zero-Covid policy that seeks to ensure absence of Covid-19 cases in China. The second round of mass testing has been scheduled for all 700,000 residents of Macau on Friday and Saturday. Earlier on Sunday, authorities in Macau locked down MGM China’s Cotai casino resort with nearly 1500 guests and staff directed to stay inside for three days. It is not immediately clear if they were released after the first round of testing on Tuesday. WATCH | China Covid Chaos: Shanghai government bars people from entering and exiting Disney park × After a three-month long duration of virtually no Covid cases, Macau reported 11 new infections last week. Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, saw the return of Covid-related curbs with the discovery of new cases last week, prompting worries for casino executives and investors. In mainland China, the authorities directed the closure of Disney’s Shanghai resort to contain Covid infections this week. Meanwhile, workers at Zhengzhou’s Foxconn plant, China’s biggest iPhone-making unit, started fleeing to their native places to escape strict Covid restrictions in place. The Foxconn facility was locked down due to a Covid outbreak on campus, leading to a major disruption in production. Authorities Wednesday imposed a seven-day lockdown of the area that houses the Foxconn plant, an order that could hit the iPhone assembler’s shipments. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

COVID-19: Macau announces second round of mass testing in week for 700,000 residents

Over the weekend, China's viral cases continued to rise, with hundreds of illnesses being found in the province of Anhui, where two counties were already under lockdown. Following 385 incidents on Saturday, the nation reported 380 cases on Sunday. Infection rates have recently increased after being below 50 for the majority of the preceding two weeks.&nbsp;

The most recent outbreak's epicentre, Anhui, reported 287 cases on Sunday. Northeastern Anhui's Lingbi county, where the neighbouring Si county carried out its sixth mass test on Sunday, went under lockdown starting on Friday afternoon.

While China appears to have contained prior outbreaks in the major cities of Shanghai and Beijing, its Covid-Zero target is once again being put to the test in the country's eastern regions.

Jiangsu province, which is close to Shanghai, recorded 56 cases on Sunday.

On Sunday, Shanghai reported three local instances. After six days of the city reporting no community infections, one was discovered outside of government quarantine. At a briefing on Sunday, Zhao Dandan, a vice director of Shanghai's municipal health commission, warned that there is still a chance that the number of Covid&nbsp;cases will increase. There were no new cases in Beijing on Sunday.

Watch | China's harsh covid-19 lockdowns exacerbate population crisis

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On Wednesday, President Xi Jinping reiterated the need to adhere to the Covid-Zero policy. According to him, loosening Covid regulations would put too many lives at danger in the nation with the largest population, and China would prefer to temporarily slow down its economic growth than endanger the security and health of its citizens.

Ao Ieong U, the secretary for social affairs and culture, said during a briefing on Sunday that Macau, which reported its first two Covid deaths of the epidemic on Sunday, wouldn't rule out locking down the entire city if its virus-control efforts fail to stop transmission.&nbsp;

This week, the city will perform three additional rounds of large-scale testing, and 650 personnel from mainland China have already arrived to assist.

784 cases in total have been confirmed during the current outbreak, which began on June 18.

The city of Hong Kong's newly appointed chief executive, John Lee, stated that there is no imminent need for a citywide, mandatory Covid testing programme, but he underlined the importance of lowering daily infections, which had reached their highest level since April.

Lee, who was sworn in by Xi on Friday, told TVB on Sunday that the government has to conduct more laboratory nucleic acid testing for Covid but that for the time being, this will not turn into a widespread, mandatory screening campaign.

The chief executive acknowledged the need to stop transmissions, but he left it unclear whether Covid Zero—the strategy used by mainland China, which uses lockdowns and massive testing campaigns to eradicate infections—would be the end aim. 
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Over the weekend, China's viral cases continued to rise, with hundreds of illnesses being found in the province of Anhui, where two counties were already under lockdown.

Over the weekend, China's viral cases continued to rise, with hundreds of illnesses being found in the province of Anhui, where two counties were already under lockdown. Following 385 incidents on Saturday, the nation reported 380 cases on Sunday. Infection rates have recently increased after being below 50 for the majority of the preceding two weeks. The most recent outbreak's epicentre, Anhui, reported 287 cases on Sunday. Northeastern Anhui's Lingbi county, where the neighbouring Si county carried out its sixth mass test on Sunday, went under lockdown starting on Friday afternoon. While China appears to have contained prior outbreaks in the major cities of Shanghai and Beijing, its Covid-Zero target is once again being put to the test in the country's eastern regions. Jiangsu province, which is close to Shanghai, recorded 56 cases on Sunday. On Sunday, Shanghai reported three local instances. After six days of the city reporting no community infections, one was discovered outside of government quarantine. At a briefing on Sunday, Zhao Dandan, a vice director of Shanghai's municipal health commission, warned that there is still a chance that the number of Covid cases will increase. There were no new cases in Beijing on Sunday. Watch | China's harsh covid-19 lockdowns exacerbate population crisis On Wednesday, President Xi Jinping reiterated the need to adhere to the Covid-Zero policy. According to him, loosening Covid regulations would put too many lives at danger in the nation with the largest population, and China would prefer to temporarily slow down its economic growth than endanger the security and health of its citizens. Ao Ieong U, the secretary for social affairs and culture, said during a briefing on Sunday that Macau, which reported its first two Covid deaths of the epidemic on Sunday, wouldn't rule out locking down the entire city if its virus-control efforts fail to stop transmission. This week, the city will perform three additional rounds of large-scale testing, and 650 personnel from mainland China have already arrived to assist. 784 cases in total have been confirmed during the current outbreak, which began on June 18. The city of Hong Kong's newly appointed chief executive, John Lee, stated that there is no imminent need for a citywide, mandatory Covid testing programme, but he underlined the importance of lowering daily infections, which had reached their highest level since April. Lee, who was sworn in by Xi on Friday, told TVB on Sunday that the government has to conduct more laboratory nucleic acid testing for Covid but that for the time being, this will not turn into a widespread, mandatory screening campaign. The chief executive acknowledged the need to stop transmissions, but he left it unclear whether Covid Zero—the strategy used by mainland China, which uses lockdowns and massive testing campaigns to eradicate infections—would be the end aim. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Covid-19: More cases found through mass testing, China coronavirus outbreak grows

Covid restrictions return to Shanghai as China decides to lock down millions of people for mass COVID-19 testing this weekend, &nbsp;just 10 days after lifting its gruelling two-month lockdown, unsettling residents and raising concerns about the business impact.

Racing to stop a wider outbreak after discovering a handful of community cases, including a cluster traced to a popular beauty salon, authorities have ordered PCR testing for all residents in 14 of Shanghai's 16 districts over the weekend.&nbsp;

Five of the districts said residents would not be allowed to leave their homes while the testing was carried out. A notice issued by Changning district described the stay-home requirement as "closed management" of the community being sampled.&nbsp;

The latest scare triggered a rush to grocery stores and online platforms to stock up on food, as users of China's Twitter-like Weibo expressed fear they could be locked down for longer, having only started going back to work after the last lockdown was lifted on June 1.

Some areas had remained sealed off or quickly returned to lockdown due to infections and their close contacts. "The residential compound next to mine has already been locked down," said Zhang Jian, a 34-year-old real estate agent.&nbsp;

"If there is mass testing and there is another positive case in the compound, it will have a serious impact on our lives." He added

While China's infection rate is low by global standards, President Xi Jinping has doubled down on a zero-Covid policy that authorities say is needed to protect the elderly and the medical system, even as other countries try to live with the virus.

The latest round of mass testing comes on top of already onerous testing requirements that Shanghai introduced for its 25 million residents after easing its earlier lockdown.&nbsp;

Residents must prove that they have been tested within the last 72 hours to enter areas like malls and offices - or even to use subways and buses. Many have become frustrated by the prospect of queuing for hours to be tested.

Meanwhile, Beijing on Thursday shut entertainment and internet venues in two of the capital's largest districts after tracing cases to a few bars.&nbsp;

Shanghai's earlier lockdown fuelled widespread frustration, anger and even rare protests among its residents, many of whom grappled with lost income, the loss of freedom, the death of friends and relatives, and even hunger.

It also battered China's economy, disrupting supply chains and slowing international trade. And the latest setback has hit sentiment in financial markets.

"We are at the mercy of mass testing. Factories will have to shut down even if only one positive case is detected," said Bettina Schoen-Behanzin, vice president of the European Chamber, adding that European companies were becoming more cautious and rethinking future investments in China.

[with inputs from agencies] 
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Covid restrictions return to Shanghai as China decides to lock down millions of people for mass COVID-19 testing this weekend, just 10 days after lifting its gruelling two-month lockdown, unsettling residents and raising concerns about the business impact.

Covid restrictions return to Shanghai as China decides to lock down millions of people for mass COVID-19 testing this weekend, just 10 days after lifting its gruelling two-month lockdown, unsettling residents and raising concerns about the business impact. Racing to stop a wider outbreak after discovering a handful of community cases, including a cluster traced to a popular beauty salon, authorities have ordered PCR testing for all residents in 14 of Shanghai's 16 districts over the weekend. Five of the districts said residents would not be allowed to leave their homes while the testing was carried out. A notice issued by Changning district described the stay-home requirement as "closed management" of the community being sampled. The latest scare triggered a rush to grocery stores and online platforms to stock up on food, as users of China's Twitter-like Weibo expressed fear they could be locked down for longer, having only started going back to work after the last lockdown was lifted on June 1. Some areas had remained sealed off or quickly returned to lockdown due to infections and their close contacts. "The residential compound next to mine has already been locked down," said Zhang Jian, a 34-year-old real estate agent. "If there is mass testing and there is another positive case in the compound, it will have a serious impact on our lives." He added While China's infection rate is low by global standards, President Xi Jinping has doubled down on a zero-Covid policy that authorities say is needed to protect the elderly and the medical system, even as other countries try to live with the virus. The latest round of mass testing comes on top of already onerous testing requirements that Shanghai introduced for its 25 million residents after easing its earlier lockdown. Residents must prove that they have been tested within the last 72 hours to enter areas like malls and offices - or even to use subways and buses. Many have become frustrated by the prospect of queuing for hours to be tested. Meanwhile, Beijing on Thursday shut entertainment and internet venues in two of the capital's largest districts after tracing cases to a few bars. Shanghai's earlier lockdown fuelled widespread frustration, anger and even rare protests among its residents, many of whom grappled with lost income, the loss of freedom, the death of friends and relatives, and even hunger. It also battered China's economy, disrupting supply chains and slowing international trade. And the latest setback has hit sentiment in financial markets. "We are at the mercy of mass testing. Factories will have to shut down even if only one positive case is detected," said Bettina Schoen-Behanzin, vice president of the European Chamber, adding that European companies were becoming more cautious and rethinking future investments in China. [with inputs from agencies] WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Covid restrictions return to Shanghai, Xi Jinping says ‘persistence is victory’

After Shanghai, now Beijing may implement strict restrictions due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases. Residents in the Chinese capital were seen panic buying as long queues were seen outside grocery shops. People also lined up for mass tested. Reportedly, around 20 million people will be screened for Covid-19 in Beijing.

After Shanghai, Beijing to close? Residents start panic buying as 20 mn to be tested for Covid

Hundreds of flights at one of China's busiest airports were cancelled Tuesday as Shanghai raced to bring a local coronavirus outbreak under control. 
 
Health officials have tested thousands of staff at Pudong International Airport since a small cluster of Covid-19 cases in the city was linked to several cargo handlers.

China -- where the virus first emerged late last year -- has largely brought the pandemic under control through travel restrictions and lockdowns, but it is now battling a number of domestic outbreaks in different cities.

Shanghai has reported seven local infections linked to the airport this month, with most cases found in the past few days.

The outbreak has sparked plans to give high-risk workers at the travel hub and experimental vaccine China has already been providing to state employees, international students and essential workers heading abroad since July.

On Tuesday, figures from data services firm VariFlight showed that over 500 flights out of Pudong Airport had been called off -- nearly half the day's scheduled flights.

Almost half of the scheduled inbound flights were also cancelled.

More than 17,700 people had been swabbed by Monday morning at part of a drive to test airport cargo staff, state news agency Xinhua reported, with those infected including employees at logistics firms FedEx and UPS.

Videos shared Sunday night on social media appeared to show a large crowd at the airport trying to push their way into a multi-storey car park where the testing was taking place and being held back by a row of people wearing full hazmat suits.

Later footage published by Shanghai health officials showed rows of people queuing at what appears to be the same location and being ushered to testing stations by health workers.

Nearly half of all scheduled flights were also cancelled at Tianjin International Airport, a northern port city testing around 2.6 million people to try and bring a local cluster under control.

Tianjin reported five local cases on Saturday and another on Tuesday.

China has been rolling out mass-screening campaigns in response to the emergence of local Covid-19 cases, in some instances collecting test samples from entire districts or cities.

Authorities have in recent days shifted their focus to imported frozen food and other inbound shipments, which have been blamed for a resurgence of local infections.

Hundreds of flights at one of China's busiest airports were cancelled Tuesday as Shanghai raced to bring a local coronavirus outbreak under control. Health officials have tested thousands of staff at Pudong International Airport since a small cluster of Covid-19 cases in the city was linked to several cargo handlers.

Hundreds of flights at one of China's busiest airports were cancelled Tuesday as Shanghai raced to bring a local coronavirus outbreak under control. Health officials have tested thousands of staff at Pudong International Airport since a small cluster of Covid-19 cases in the city was linked to several cargo handlers. China -- where the virus first emerged late last year -- has largely brought the pandemic under control through travel restrictions and lockdowns, but it is now battling a number of domestic outbreaks in different cities. Shanghai has reported seven local infections linked to the airport this month, with most cases found in the past few days. The outbreak has sparked plans to give high-risk workers at the travel hub and experimental vaccine China has already been providing to state employees, international students and essential workers heading abroad since July. On Tuesday, figures from data services firm VariFlight showed that over 500 flights out of Pudong Airport had been called off -- nearly half the day's scheduled flights. Almost half of the scheduled inbound flights were also cancelled. More than 17,700 people had been swabbed by Monday morning at part of a drive to test airport cargo staff, state news agency Xinhua reported, with those infected including employees at logistics firms FedEx and UPS. Videos shared Sunday night on social media appeared to show a large crowd at the airport trying to push their way into a multi-storey car park where the testing was taking place and being held back by a row of people wearing full hazmat suits. Later footage published by Shanghai health officials showed rows of people queuing at what appears to be the same location and being ushered to testing stations by health workers. Nearly half of all scheduled flights were also cancelled at Tianjin International Airport, a northern port city testing around 2.6 million people to try and bring a local cluster under control. Tianjin reported five local cases on Saturday and another on Tuesday. China has been rolling out mass-screening campaigns in response to the emergence of local Covid-19 cases, in some instances collecting test samples from entire districts or cities. Authorities have in recent days shifted their focus to imported frozen food and other inbound shipments, which have been blamed for a resurgence of local infections.

Shanghai tackles coronavirus outbreak, hundreds of flights cancelled

Staff at Shanghai's biggest international airport are facing mass testing after a small outbreak of Covid-19 in the city was linked to several cargo handlers, with plans underway to vaccinate high-risk workers.

Life in China -- where the virus first emerged late last year -- has largely returned to normal following strict testing and harsh lockdowns, but there has been a series of sporadic local outbreaks over recent months.

Shanghai has reported six local infections linked to the airport this month, with most of the cases in the past few days.

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*Chaos at Shanghai Pudong Airport after three recent confirmed COVID-19 cases are airport workers. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E4%B8%8A%E6%B5%B7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#上海</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E6%B5%A6%E4%B8%9C?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#浦东</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a> <a href="https://t.co/cHcwcRay9d">pic.twitter.com/cHcwcRay9d</a>
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Overnight Sunday into Monday, workers in full protective gear ushered Pudong International Airport staff into a multi-storey car park to have the virus test, with videos posted online by Shanghai health authorities showing scores of people filing into the facility.

More than 17,700 people had been swabbed by Monday morning in the drive to test airport cargo staff, the official Xinhua news agency reported, and results had come back negative on over 11,500 so far.

Frontline cargo workers will be given regular tests in the future and those in high-risk jobs will also be given vaccines for Covid-19, Xinhua added, citing Shanghai Airport Authority vice-president Zhou Junlong, who said the process would be voluntary.

China has been giving experimental Covid-19 vaccines to people including state employees, international students and essential workers heading abroad since July.

On Monday authorities said two cargo handlers at the airport who tested positive earlier this month had entered and cleaned a container arriving from North America -- without wearing masks -- in late October.

China has been rolling out mass-testing campaigns upon the emergence of local cases, and authorities have recently shifted their focus to imported frozen food and other imports, which are blamed for a resurgence of local infections.

A cluster of domestic cases has also been reported in the northern port city of Tianjin, where state media said 2.6 million people are being tested.

Staff at Shanghai's biggest international airport are facing mass testing after a small outbreak of Covid-19 in the city was linked to several cargo handlers, with plans underway to vaccinate high-risk workers.

Staff at Shanghai's biggest international airport are facing mass testing after a small outbreak of Covid-19 in the city was linked to several cargo handlers, with plans underway to vaccinate high-risk workers. Life in China -- where the virus first emerged late last year -- has largely returned to normal following strict testing and harsh lockdowns, but there has been a series of sporadic local outbreaks over recent months. Shanghai has reported six local infections linked to the airport this month, with most of the cases in the past few days. *Chaos at Shanghai Pudong Airport after three recent confirmed COVID-19 cases are airport workers. #上海 #浦东 #China pic.twitter.com/cHcwcRay9d — ChinaPropertyFocus (@ChinaPropFocus) November 22, 2020 × Overnight Sunday into Monday, workers in full protective gear ushered Pudong International Airport staff into a multi-storey car park to have the virus test, with videos posted online by Shanghai health authorities showing scores of people filing into the facility. More than 17,700 people had been swabbed by Monday morning in the drive to test airport cargo staff, the official Xinhua news agency reported, and results had come back negative on over 11,500 so far. Frontline cargo workers will be given regular tests in the future and those in high-risk jobs will also be given vaccines for Covid-19, Xinhua added, citing Shanghai Airport Authority vice-president Zhou Junlong, who said the process would be voluntary. China has been giving experimental Covid-19 vaccines to people including state employees, international students and essential workers heading abroad since July. On Monday authorities said two cargo handlers at the airport who tested positive earlier this month had entered and cleaned a container arriving from North America -- without wearing masks -- in late October. China has been rolling out mass-testing campaigns upon the emergence of local cases, and authorities have recently shifted their focus to imported frozen food and other imports, which are blamed for a resurgence of local infections. A cluster of domestic cases has also been reported in the northern port city of Tianjin, where state media said 2.6 million people are being tested.

Watch: Shanghai airport plunged into chaos after worker tests positive for Covid, mass testing begins

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