China strengthens COVID-19 prevention measures as cases rise in Shanghai
October 11, 2022, 11:30 am

China strengthens COVID-19 prevention measures as cases rise in Shanghai

Shanghai announces Monday April 18 the death of three people due to Covid-19 (Photo: Pixabay)

Chinese authorities have stepped up testing in Shanghai and other megacities as COVID infections rise again, as well as extending quarantine times and closing some public spaces where the virus could spread.

Local infections have risen to their highest since August this week, and the uptick is coinciding with increased domestic travel during the National Day “Golden Week” holiday earlier this month.

Shanghai, a city of 25 million people, reported 28 new local cases for October 10, authorities said on Tuesday, the fourth day of double-digit increases.

Nationwide, 2,089 new local infections were reported, the highest since August 20.

While most of the cases have been found in tourist destinations, including scenic spots in the northern region of Inner Mongolia, megacities that are often the source of well-heeled and well-travelled tourists started to report more cases this week.

FDA Authorizes First Breath Test for COVID-19 Infection (File photo: Pixabay)

Shanghai, keen to avoid a reprise of the economically devastating and psychically scarring lockdown in April and May, said late on Monday that all of its 16 districts were to conduct routine testing on their residents at least twice a week until November 10. That’s a step up from once a week presently, a regime imposed after the earlier lockdown was lifted.

Checks on people travelling to Shanghai and places such as hotels, should also be strengthened, municipal authorities said.

The expanding web of COVID preventive measures have already ensnared some people.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ill with COVID-19 in London’s Belmarsh prison

Peter Lee, a long-time British expatriate, was out at lunch with his wife and seven-year-old son last week when he was suddenly notified his apartment block was to be locked down for 48 hours.

Lee and his son checked into a hotel, which was then also locked down due to a prior visit by a virus carrier. Lee’s wife, who was planning to join them, had no choice but returned home to be locked in, and then had her lockdown extended.

Father and son are due to be released on Thursday, while Lee’s wife won’t be released until Sunday.

Singapore to lift COVID-19 restrictions for all from next week

“It might be that we say, we miss home and we miss mum too much and maybe we just go home and just deal with it, but we also lose another weekend then,” Lee told Reuters.

“We are monitoring the situation because it seems like Shanghai is gradually shutting down anyway and if everything starts to close then there won’t be much benefit in being able to come and go.”

Despite the very small caseload versus the rest of the world, and the toll its tough counter-epidemic policies exact on the Chinese economy and its population, the government has repeatedly urged people to accept the measures.

Covid cases and hospital admissions at 'highest level in months' in UK

“We must be soberly aware our country is a large one with a population of over 1.4 billion, coupled with unbalanced regional development and insufficient medical resources overall,” state-controlled People’s Daily wrote in a commentary on Tuesday.

“Once a large-scale rebound occurs, the epidemic will spread, and is bound to have a serious impact on economic and social development, and the final price will be higher and losses will be greater.”

The latest COVID restrictions come days ahead of a once-every-five-years Communist Party congress starting on October 16, where Xi Jinping is widely expected to extend his decade-long leadership for another five years.

Source: alarabiya

UN bracing for more displacements following Russian strikes in Ukraine Care worker numbers fall in England, leaving more people without support

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.