The authorities of the megalopolis of Shanghai (China) announced on Friday that the schools of the city would be closed from March 12 and until further notice as part of preventive measures against the Covid-19 epidemic. Reuters news agency.
Municipal authorities announced on WeChat, the first Chinese social network, that students in primary schools, middle schools and high schools would switch to distance learning and that nurseries and kindergartens would also be closed.
The city has been facing an epidemic resumption for a few days, with an increase in the number of mostly asymptomatic cases.
On the other hand, the Chinese authorities have announced the total confinement of the city of Changchun, in the Northeast, which has 9 million inhabitants.
Cases double in 24 hours in the country
China reported 402 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, nearly double the previous day, when the highly contagious Omicron strain affects a third of the country’s provinces.
These contaminations remain disproportionate to the balance sheets in the rest of the world, but they are for China at their highest level since March 2020.
The authorities have announced that it will introduce the use of rapid antigen tests. These self-testing kits will be available for purchase for hospitals and citizens from “retail pharmacies, online sales platforms and other channels”.