Wasn’t altogether unexpected. Yet the pace with which it moved into action was perhaps unprecedented. Spurred by the desire to avoid an escalation in COVID cases and get tests done before the typhoons hit this afternoon, the response has been impressive.
At around 17:00 yesterday, people living in Jiangning District of Nanjing began receiving notifications that a second round of nucleic-acid testing (NAT) for all residents was to take place, commencing at 21:00.
As the queues began to form at about 20:00, thoughtful elderly ladies took to handing out fans, even though that with typhoons approaching, it was one of the coolest evenings of late.
But “impressive” is a word that has been overused of late. The darkness of queuing into the night has blinded us to the fact that, were this any other country, testing the city’s entire population would take months, not hours.
In other developments, Nanjing is under what international media are calling a “soft lockdown”. For once, they have got it right. No less than 68 check points have been set up on all roads at their borders of the city of Nanjing.
Those wishing to leave the city must present a negative NAT from the previous 48 hours in order to leave the city. Special arrangements are also in place for those who require to cross the city limits on a daily basis.
Other information to have emerged in the past few hours concerns those who now have a yellow health code after having been at Nanjing Lukou International Airport.
In the early hours of this morning, PSA Nanjing (南京发布) reported that those who flew in or out of Lukou since July 10 shall be subject to standardised home isolation. Those who do not have home-isolation conditions shall be centrally isolated.
Those who have just visited Lukou and been inside the terminal for more than 30 minutes should have three NATs within a week, at intervals of more than 24 hours. Upon three negative results being returned, the holder’s health code shall return to a green status.
Those with a yellow code who have made a brief stay at Lukou of less than 30 minutes since 10 July are only to be subject to one NAT test, after which their health code will return to green.
All of which flies in face of reality. After all, the entirety of Jiangning had their second NAT test last night. And also in the early hours this morning, it was confirmed that the whole of Nanjing will undergo a second round of NAT testing. That got underway at 11:00. And we can be pretty sure of a third in the days to come.
But as the shop shelves empty of eggs and instant noodles in preparation for both typhoon and lockdown, what will be the result? That a mere additional two positive cases were reported late this morning (taking the new total to 37) is a relief, but we are not out of the woods yet.
Is an exponential growth in positive COVID cases about to be confronted by the city of Nanjing? For those answers, the city waits with baited breath.
Telephone Contact Information for District Prevention and Control Headquarters
- Xuanwu District: 83682072
- Qinhuai District: 87753722
- Jianye District: 87778911
- Gulou District: 83401049
- Yuhuatai District: 52873890
- Qixia District: 85664158
- Jiangning District: 69640762
- Pukou District: 58882103 / 58852736
- Liuhe District: 57122120
- Lishui District: 57202591
- Gaochun District: 57311235
- Jiangbei New Area: 58050032
