As diseases rise, Shanghai advises citizens to remain home on Christmas

Authorities in Shanghai advised locals to stay at home this weekend, aiming for a subdued Christmas in the nation’s most populated metropolis as COVID-19 rages nationally following the removal of strict restrictions.

Saturday, December 24, a branch of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission encouraged young people to avoid crowded gatherings owing to the ease of coronavirus transmission and cold temperatures.

Christmas is not traditionally observed in China, however young couples and certain families frequently spend the holiday together.

The Omicron variety is on the rise weeks after the authorities unexpectedly reversed its zero-COVID policy, easing testing standards and travel restrictions, as China becomes the next big country to adopt the virus as a way of life.

Families and the health care system were unprepared for the ensuing increase in infections, despite the fact that many have welcomed the relaxation. Hospitals scramble for beds and blood, pharmacies for medications, and authorities for clinics.

In Shanghai, a major Christmas-themed market is generally held in a luxury shopping district along Nanjing West Road, where restaurants and merchants offer specials to boost business.

However, the spread of Omicron dampens the festivities.

Jacqueline Mocatta, who works in the hospitality business, reported that owing to personnel shortages, several restaurants in Shanghai have canceled Christmas parties for regulars and hotels have restricted reservations.

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The bulk of staff members are now ill, therefore we can only accommodate a limited number of customers, she explained.

In “stark contrast” to official data, British health data firm Airfinity reported this week that China likely has more than a million infections each day and more than 5,000 daily fatalities.

On Saturday, China’s national health authorities recorded 4,128 daily symptomatic COVID-19 infections, but no deaths for the fourth day in a row.

On Friday, Bloomberg News estimated that almost 37 million individuals may have been infected with COVID on a single day last week, citing estimates from the nation’s highest health authority.

A local media site said on Saturday that the emergency hotline in Taiyuan, in the northern province of Shanxi, was receiving over 4,000 calls each day.

A local media site said on Saturday that the emergency hotline in Taiyuan, in the northern province of Shanxi, was receiving over 4,000 calls each day.

Authorities in Taiyuan advised locals to use the hotline exclusively for medical emergencies, stating that COVID counseling “is not within the scope of the hotline.”

On Friday, the media claimed that a health official in Qingdao stated that the port city had around 500,000 new illnesses everyday.

In Wuhan, the central city where COVID first appeared three years ago, media outlets reported on Friday that the local blood bank had only 4,000 units, sufficient for two days. People were encouraged to “roll up their sleeves and give blood” by the repository.