Highly Infectious Omicron Variant Confirmed In Shanghai

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he latest Shanghai COVID-19 cluster has now been confirmed as the highly infectious Omicron variant.

As reported on Friday, Shanghai declared two locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and three local asymptomatic cases. They were related to an imported asymptomatic COVID-19 case reported in the city on Tuesday.

Genetic sequencing has now confirmed the new cases were infected with the Omicron variant, which is more transmissible than the previously dominant Delta variant.

The cases are centered around a store named China Fresh Tea on Yuyuan Lu in Jingan District, located 200 meters from the No. 1 exit of Jing’an Temple Station.

It remains, for now, Shanghai’s only medium-level risk area.

Mass screenings have been taking place in various parts of the city, with a total of 54,000 related people in Shanghai tested so far; 304 close contacts and 2,830 secondary contacts, tracked across the city, have undergone quarantine measures. All have tested negative so far.

The imported asymptomatic COVID-19 case, the origin of the five new cases, is a Chinese national studying in the USA, who arrived at Pudong International Airport on December 21. During the two-week quarantine, the patient tested negative four times. In the ensuing seven-day self-health monitoring period, however, the patient tested positive on the last day, without showing any symptoms.

Authorities have reminded people that during the self-health monitoring period, they should not take public transport, gather for meals or dine-in restaurants, and participate in public space activities such as watching movies, exhibitions, or meetings.

Those that do will bear legal responsibility!