Shanghai, Covid-positive children separated from parents who are not

After the criticisms and protests against the Shanghai policy which, in this new lockdown phase extended to the whole city due to an increase in Covid cases, has foreseen the separation of positive children from their parentsthe municipal government has decided to make some changes to the rule.

Parents are now allowed to stay with their children, but only if they are positive too: separation remains mandatory only when mothers and fathers have not been infected. Guardians of special needs children who have been infected can also apply to stay with them, as long as they comply with certain rules and sign a letter stating that they are aware of the risks they run. These – very slight – loosening separation policy has given some relief to parents, worried about the too rigid management of positive people.

But Wu Qianyu, a Shanghai health official, reiterated that national guidelines require infected patients to be separated from those who are not. Consequently, the children under 7 years old whose parents “do not meet the accompanying requirements” will continue to come treated in public health centers. Older children will be sent to centralized quarantine facilities.

In recent days, Shanghai residents had also launched an online petition to ask that at least asymptomatic children be allowed to remain in isolation at home: over a thousand signatures were collected. According to many citizens, the response of officials to the virus is worse than the virus itself.

Yesterday, April 5, Shanghai recorded a record of 16,766 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, compared to 13,086 the day before. Symptomatic cases also rose to 311 from 268 the day before. The city has set up 62 temporary quarantine sites in hotels, stadiums and exhibition centers, and is also converting the National Convention and Exhibition Center – of 150,000 square meters – in a structure that can accommodate 40,000 people.

However, as he relates ReutersChen Erzhen, doctor in charge of a Shanghai quarantine facility, said in an interview with the Communist Party newspaper, People’s Dailywhich is Authorities may revise the guidelines and allow asymptomatic people to stay at home.

Source: Vanity Fair

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