Vice-premier urges containing Shanghai's COVID-19 in shortest time possible

SHANGHAI — Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan urged resolute and swift moves to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Shanghai in the shortest time possible, issuing her call during an inspection visit to the city on April 2.

Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed unswerving adherence to the dynamic zero-COVID approach and mobilizing COVID-19 testing capacity, medical personnel, and COVID-19 prevention supplies to support Shanghai in the fight against the epidemic.

The vice-premier called for stepping up efforts to ensure that all those in need are tested, isolated, hospitalized or treated.

During the inspection, Sun listened to the report from medical experts and visited a makeshift hospital and a residential community in Shanghai.

"It is an arduous task and huge challenge to combat the Omicron variant while maintaining the normal operation of core functions in a megacity with a population of 25 million," Sun said.

She urged the improvement of the nucleic acid testing capacity as soon as possible and the organization of mass testing to get a clear picture of the epidemic situation.

The epidemic control measures in communities should be further strengthened, while people's basic living conditions and normal medical needs should be ensured, Sun said.

It is necessary to expand makeshift hospitals and designated hospitals for COVID-19 treatment, Sun said, calling for the preparation of sufficient quarantine venues and swift action on the transfer and treatment of patients.

She also stressed strict closed-loop management for key industries and institutions to ensure the normal operation of core functions and the stability of supply and industrial chains.

Before arriving in Shanghai, the vice-premier was on an inspection visit in the virus-hit city of Jilin in Northeast China.

New COVID-19 infections from communities in Jilin city are decreasing significantly and the epidemic spread in the city has been brought under effective control.