Shanghai moves to protect senior citizens living in nursing homes

Shanghai will strengthen management, improve environmental disinfection and increase vaccination rates at local nursing homes to minimize senior citizens' exposure risk during the latest COVID-19 outbreak, the municipal authority said at a news briefing on Friday.

Visitations at nursing homes have been suspended since March 1 and these facilities have also been operating under closed-loop management since March 10. No private exchanges of goods between people at nursing homes and those outside are allowed. Package deliveries must go through disinfection as well, said vice-Mayor Peng Chenlei at Friday's news briefing on the city's epidemic control efforts.

Staff members from nursing homes are required to take nucleic acid testing every two days and the elderly living there twice a week, he said.

Regular environmental disinfection is carried out at nursing homes as well. In addition, the seniors are encouraged to get vaccinated if their health conditions allow for it. Unvaccinated staff members will not be allowed to work on the frontlines.

"To relieve their loneliness and anxiety, activities are regularly held at nursing homes. The staff also facilitate video calls with family members. Videos documenting life in the nursing homes are also sent to their relatives as well," Peng said.

Shanghai reported 23,072 new locally transmitted infections on Thursday, 3,200 of which are confirmed cases.