Â鶹´«Ã½

Coronavirus

    • Shanghai enforces new COVID testing, some areas in China extend lockdowns

    Share
    SHANGHAI / BEIJING -

    Several large Chinese cities including Shanghai are rolling out new mass testing or extending lockdowns on millions of residents to counter new clusters of COVID-19 infections, with some measures being criticized on the internet.

    China has reported an average of around 390 local daily infections in the seven days ending on Sunday, higher than about 340 seven days earlier, according to Reuters calculations based on official data as of Monday.

    While that is tiny compared with a resurgence in other parts of Asia, China is adamant about implementing its dynamic zero COVID policy of eliminating outbreaks as soon as they emerge. Previously when a flare-up became a major outbreak, local officials had been compelled to take tougher measures such as month-long lockdowns, even at the cost of economic growth.

    Persistent outbreaks and more closures could add pressure on the world's second-largest economy, which contracted sharply in the second quarter from the first after widespread COVID-19 lockdowns jolted industrial production and consumer spending.

    The commercial hub of Shanghai, yet to fully recover from the harsh two-month lockdown in spring and still reporting daily sporadic cases, plans to hold mass testing in many of its 16 districts and in some smaller areas where new infections had been reported recently, after similar testing last week.

    "There is still an epidemic risk at the community level so far," the city government said in a statement.

    Shanghai reported more than a dozen new cases but none was found outside quarantined areas, local government data showed on Monday.

    "I'm speechless," said a Shanghai resident surnamed Wang, already subject to testing every weekend at her residential compound. "It sounds like a waste of resources that doesn't address the real problem."

    The northern city of Tianjin, which launched multiple rounds of mass testing in recent months to curb earlier outbreaks, said on Monday it is again testing its more than 12 million residents, after two local infections were found.

    In the northwestern city of Lanzhou, a lockdown in four major districts with around three million residents that started last week has been extended to July 24.

    In the central Chinese city of Zhumadian, lockdowns for several million people in a few towns under its jurisdiction have been extended for a few days until Monday or Tuesday.

    The southwestern city of Chengdu said on Monday it suspended various entertainment and cultural venues, widening such curbs over the weekend that had been limited to a few districts.

    The capital Beijing, after a week of zero local infections, found two local cases on Monday - one international flight crew member and the person's roommate. Authorities have sealed affected buildings.

    'NO HUMANITY'

    Authorities in the southern region of Guangxi said late on Sunday they removed two officials in the city of Beihai from their jobs for acting poorly in their COVID-19 response.

    Beihai, with a population of 1.9 million and currently clocking over 500 infections, has launched multiple rounds of mass testing and locked down some areas.

    As of Sunday, over 2,000 tourists were stuck in the city.

    In the southern city of Guangzhou, COVID-19 control staffers broke down the locks of apartment doors without residents' consent, stirring an outcry on social media over the weekend.

    Authorities in one district in Guangzhou on Monday apologized to residents.

    The issue was among the top trending topics on China's Twitter-like social media Weibo.

    "It's too horrifying, too ridiculous," wrote a Weibo user. "No humanity, no law."

    In the northeastern city of Changchun, clear of local infections since mid-May, subway passengers were told to wear N95 masks throughout their rides. Many cities including Beijing only mandate surgical masks.

    Changchun has been clear of local cases since mid-May, while a smaller nearby town under its jurisdiction has reported fewer than 20 cases since July 15.

    Jin Dong-yan, a virology professor at the University of Hong Kong, said N95 respirators are able to offer better protection than surgical masks during major outbreaks, but could be of low cost-efficiency in areas of low COVID-19 risk.

    "In a city without cases, N95 mask mandate would be painful and inconvenient."

    Reporting by Roxanne Liu, Brenda Goh, Ryan Woo and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Muralikumar Anantharaman

    ____

    What questions do you have about travel rules amid COVID-19?

    CTVNews.ca wants to hear from Canadians with any questions.

    Tell us what you’d like to know when it comes to rules around entering or leaving Canada.

    To submit your question, email us at dotcom@bellmedia.ca with your name, location and question. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    Canada

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    World

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair’s family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale—Langley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Max Pacioretty on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.

    • Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Flames shot out of windows and debris came showering down onto the street as crews battled a fire at a North Vancouver highrise Monday afternoon.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • Police nabbed an alarming number of drunk or drug-impaired drivers in Abbotsford, B.C., over the long weekend – including 11 on Friday night alone.

    • As Toronto readies for Taylor Swift’s arrival this week, some crowd management and planning experts say additional safety precautions should be taken when tens of thousands of fans fill the city's downtown core on show nights.

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    • A coalition of community groups is calling on Ottawa City Council to raise property taxes "to a level that sustains existing services and infrastructure," increase parking fees, and invest in transit, community services and climate action in its 2025 budget.

    • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • Several international flights scheduled to land at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport had to be diverted due to the discovery of a 'package of interest.'

    • Nova Scotia's political party leaders will return to the election campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

    • New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday in Fredericton.

    • A weeklong closure of Portage Avenue East is set to begin Tuesday to allow for pre-construction traffic signal work at Portage and Main.

    • A sacred fire burning in Winnipeg has brought healing and hope to some members of Xavia Skye Lynn Butler’s family.

    • November 11th marks a solemn day across Canada, and Regina is no exception.

    • Fire crews reported that no one was hurt after flames broke out in a home on Robinson Street in central Regina.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book ‘War Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.’

    • A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

    • A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Saskatoon Public Library workers will be on strike Tuesday as part of ongoing contract negotiations with SPL.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Failing to comply with a property standards order issued by city hall could add almost $100,000 to the tax bill of a prominent eyesore in east London.

    • Changes proposed to the city’s Special Events By-law would allow outdoor concerts and music festivals to play later – but not louder.

    • According to police, the crash also resulted in a hydro pole being broken and damaging lines.

    • Fire crews were called to an early-morning fire at recycling depot on John Street.

    • A Barrie man is accused of being at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall is acting unilaterally for one of the only times of his tenure thus far to help ensure a renovation project of a youth shelter gets completed.

    • Rumors began spreading this morning that the school’s annual Winter Walkthrough in December was being postponed until January.

    • A pair of thieves ripped the door of an east Windsor sports apparel store on Monday morning, leaving the store owner on the hook for thousands in stolen merchandise.

    • video

      video

      After a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) worker took their own life while on shift at the Ambassador Bridge Saturday, Â鶹´«Ã½ Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis highlighted the mental health burdens faced daily by law enforcement.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • If you were at the cenotaph Remembrance Day ceremonies in Lethbridge, you may have caught a glimpse of our Dory Rossiter there on crutches.

    • Canadians across the country spent Monday paying tribute to the soldiers who have fought and died while serving Canada.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • Remembrance Day celebrations took place across the country Monday, with Canadians reflecting on the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½