MORE than 14 million residents of Shanghai took part in COVID-19 antigen testing Saturday, and this new effort in the city’s screening strategy to curb the current local outbreak went on yesterday, the municipal government said.

The residents who tested positive immediately underwent nucleic acid tests, and epidemic control measures were taken on those who finally tested positive, Wu Quanyu, a primary inspector with the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said at a municipal media briefing.

“Such results show that antigen testing is advantageous in testing speed and operation process. Residents in the remaining low-risk grids in the city will continue taking antigen testing by themselves at home yesterday,” she said.

Shanghai initiated another round of gird-screening plan Saturday. As residents in low-risk grids underwent antigen tests, those in key areas would take nucleic acid tests.

Shanghai recorded 2,676 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections Saturday, including 45 confirmed cases.

Number of child infection aged 6 or younger in the city totaled at 305 as of Saturday, accounting for less than 3% of the total infection. Among the child infections, 53 were confirmed cases, according to the city’s health authority.

(China Daily)