Some children with COVID-19 in Shanghai will now be able to stay with their parents after officials relaxed a separation policy.
The announcement came as China’s largest city remained in lockdown and conducted more mass testing following another jump in new cases.
Parts of Shanghai have been under strict coronavirus rules for the past 10 days, but now nearly all of its 26 million residents are required to stay at home.
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Under China’s zero-COVID approach, the city requires all those who test positive to be held in designated locations for observation, along with their close contacts.
The most controversial of the measures has been separating COVID-positive children from parents, which triggered widespread anger across the country.
On social media, people have shared images and videos claiming to show a number of young children sitting in cots after being separated from their families.
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On Monday, the Shanghai government responded to the uproar by allowing parents who were also infected to accompany their children to COVID isolation centres.
However complaints continued and on Wednesday, a Shanghai health official said guardians of children with special requirements, who have the virus, could now apply to escort them.
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Adults must sign an agreement stating they understand the health risks of staying with them and are required to wear masks, eat separately and avoid sharing personal items, said Wu Qianyu of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission.
She did not define what qualifies as “special needs”.
More citywide testing and difficulty buying food
Shanghai officials also announced another round of citywide tests will be carried out and curbs on residents’ movements will continue until they can evaluate testing results.
There are signs that the curbs, which were initially scheduled to last about five days for most, are causing people issues with buying food and accessing medical treatment.
Many have expressed concerns about food and drinking water, as supermarkets remain shut and deliveries are restricted.
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Some have complained in posts on social media of having to wake up at dawn for a chance at booking a grocery delivery, and finding them sold out within seconds.
Others have turned to community WeChat groups to try to bulk-buy fruit and vegetables.
On Tuesday, Shanghai reported 17,077 new COVID cases, of which just 311 showed no symptoms.
