Shanghai doubles down on measures against COVID-19

China's central financial hub Shanghai is set to start a series of measures to avert a surge in COVID-19 transmission chains, local authorities said Friday.

A report on Friday over Chinese state-run international English-language cable TV news service (CGTN) said, "community control measures will be carried out to minimize the movement and gathering of people."

Likewise, Shanghai will adopt COVID-19 testing and screening policies tailored-fit to different communities.

To stem the resurgence of the virus, local officials have divided the city into three areas :

• closed-off management,
• restrictive control, and
• prevention

Shanghai registered 1,931 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 15,698 asymptomatic cases on Thursday, local authorities said on Friday morning, it added.

On the other hand, it announced on Thursday 11 new deaths related to the disease.

Meanwhile, a report on Reuters indicates that local authorities are "launching a new round of city-wide testing and warning residents their three-week lockdown" that would be lifted by batches depending on the rate of transmission.

Citing Shanghai a government report, Reuters said that the city's epidemic was showing a "positive trend" but residents need to adhere to strict rules to curb the further spread of COVID-19.

"Our goal is to achieve community zero-COVID as soon as possible," Reuters quoted the local government as saying. —LBG, GMA News