Authorities urge residents in precautionary zones to minimize travel

The Shanghai government reiterated on Tuesday that residents in precautionary zones – communities with no COVID-19 infections over the past 14 days – should still avoid unnecessary activities outside their homes.

"We urge residents in these zones not to gather and to limit their movement within their communities. They must take personal protection measures, including wearing masks and maintaining social distance, when they leave their homes," said Wu Qianyu, an inspector with the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, at a municipal press briefing on Tuesday.

The health authority also urged the city's elderly population to get their COVID-19 vaccinations as they have a higher chance of developing serious symptoms if infected.

The city on Monday released a list that categorized local communities into three types of zones: lockdown, controlled and precautionary.

As of Tuesday noon, the three types of COVID-19 control zones - lockdown, controlled, and precautionary - have been identified in each of Shanghai’s 16 districts.

According to local authorities, there are 15.01 million residents living in the 11,135 lockdown zones, 1.78 million people in the 2,682 controlled zones, and 4.8 million people in the precautionary areas.

The city government said that 90 percent of the compounds listed in the precautionary zones are located in the outskirts. Only 10 percent are in downtown regions.

Residents in precautionary zones will be required to undergo antigen testing twice a week. Police officers, couriers, and city infrastructure staff will undergo both antigen and nucleic acid testing regularly, according to the government.

Should a new COVID-19 infection be identified in a precautionary zone, the area will immediately be designated a lockdown zone.

In addition, if a community is located between compounds listed as lockdown zones, the district authority can choose to manage it as a lockdown or controlled zone.

Lockdown zones refer to neighborhoods that have reported new infections over the past seven days. Residents are required to stay at home for a week.

Controlled zones refer to neighborhoods where no infections have been reported over the past week. Residents are allowed to retrieve food deliveries or take a walk at designated spots at staggered timings within the compound.

Precautionary zones are communities that have not reported infections over the past two weeks. Residents can leave the neighborhood but have to stay within the boundaries of their sub-district.