10 Pinoys in Shanghai test positive for COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — Ten Filipinos are undergoing quarantine in Shanghai, China after they tested positive for COVID, the Philippine consulate general said yesterday.

Consul General Josel Ignacio said the consulate is directly communicating with the Filipinos.

“We regret that we have right now 10 of our nationals who have been taken to quarantine, who have tested positive for COVID,” Ignacio said.

“They have reached out to us and we are taking care, looking after them, one-on-one, we are in direct communication, they tell us what they need. We try to elevate that to the authorities in different ways, depending upon their needs,” he added.

Ignacio said the number of COVID cases in Shanghai has been peaking in the past weeks.

A city of over 23 million, Shanghai is currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in cases and moving resolutely to stanch the rise.

In keeping with its “dynamic Zero-COVID-19” approach, the city government has authorized a two-phase full lockdown among other measures.

Shanghai’s total lockdown started out as a phased scheme on March 28.

The Shanghai Municipal People’s Government has been doubling efforts to attend to the residents’ concerns, especially access to essential supplies.

All residents are barred from leaving their homes and are required to undergo rounds of nucleic acid testing for COVID.

All offices and businesses, including foreign consular missions like the Philippine consulate general, were told to suspend operations.

The city is gearing up to shift to a “differentiated management approach” that localizes strictures to specific areas, categorizing these either as “locked down,” “controlled” or “precautionary,” based on mass screening outcomes.

Ignacio said the Commission on Elections suspended the conduct of absentee voting in Shanghai due to the strict lockdown.

“We hope that moving forward in the next few weeks, there will be some window for us to be able to allow our people to exercise their right to vote because they are enthusiastic,” he said.