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A30 world news
Diasabra 23 Januari 2021

Asia: Shanghai outbreak prompts 2 hospital lockdowns

(AP) — Shanghai has im-
posed lockdowns on two
of China's best-known
hospitals after they were
linked to new coronavirus
cases.

Outpatient services have
been suspended at Fudan
University Shanghai Cancer
Center and Renji Hospital.
They have been cordoned
off, along with some sur-
rounding residential com-
munities.

After months of quelling
small clusters with mass
testing, isolation and so-
cial distancing, China has
seen outbreaks grow this
winter, mainly in its frigid
north. The National Health
Commission on Friday an-
nounced 103 new cases had
been detected over the past
24 hours.

Lockdowns have also been
imposed in parts of Beijing
and other cities following
outbreaks, schools are let-
ting out early and citizens
have been told to stay home
for next month’s Lunar New
Year holiday. China hopes to
vaccinate 50 million people
against the virus by the mid-
dle of February.

Shanghai had six of the cas-
es reported Friday. The two
hospitals were put under
lockdown after suspected
cases were found at them on
Wednesday and Thursday.
It’s not immediately clear
if any additional cases were
linked to the hospitals.

Heilongjiang province in
the far north reported 47
new cases, followed by Jilin
just to the south with 19 and
Hebei province just outside
Beijing with 18. Beijing itself
recorded three new cases.
Chinese hospitals are cur-
rently treating 1,674 patients
for COVID-19, of which
80 are in serious condition,
while another 929 are under
observation for testing posi-
tive without displaying any
symptoms.