Stay vigilant as Covid cases spike worldwide

Stay vigilant as Covid cases spike worldwide

A day after a city-wide Covid-19 restrictions were eased, millions of residents of China’s commercial hub, Shanghai went back indoors on Thursday under new lockdown measures after the discovery of fresh coronavirus cases. Shanghai officials said seven of the metropolis’ 16 districts would carry out mass PCR testing for all residents “to prevent a renewed outbreak.” The new measures come in midst of a worldwide spike in cases that scientists attribute to the resurgence of two sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, branched out of Omicron, the highly transmittable variant that first appeared in November. The new measures in China are the latest indication that although the pandemic appeared to have stabilised over the past few months, recent surge indicates that coronavirus is far from over. A new surge in cases in India has led experts to warn of a fourth wave. The country on Thursday reported a steep spike in cases, 7,240 new cases, more than double the average cases reported just days ago. The spike in cases prompted the government to restore stringent Covid-19 protocols measures at airports and in aircrafts. In the UAE, the Ministry of Health and Prevention on Thursday reported 1,031 new cases, the highest since February