Health

China locks down Shanghai Disneyland

China locks down Shanghai Disneyland and tests 34,000 visitors after single Covid case

As fireworks lit up the sky over Shanghai Disney Resort on Sunday, chatter began to spread through the crowds. Qian, a young Chinese woman who’d decided to spend her Halloween at the theme park, saw a Weibo alert from Disney saying the park had closed and rides had stopped. No more guests could enter Disneyland – those already inside, all 34,000 of them, would have to be tested and isolate.

The news filtered through the throngs of parkgoers but, as Qian described, caused no panic, despite the worsening outbreak of Delta across 16 Chinese provinces.

“The tourists around me started discussing this matter, but they all finished watching the first fireworks in peace,” she posted on Weibo.

As they moved towards the exit, the crowd learned no one could leave until all were tested. They were ushered along outdoor trestle tables staffed by PPE-wearing healthworkers for testing, as the second evening fireworks show blasted in the background. The gates were closed and the rail lines shut down.

“I never thought that the longest queue in Disneyland would be for a nucleic acid test,” another visitor wryly noted on social media.

Late in the night more than 200 buses took people home for two days of self-isolation and further testing. Another 100,000 people who visited the park on the weekend will also be tested.

The surreal scenes were prompted by the discovery of one case, a Saturday visitor Shanghai who was later found to be positive. Reports were conflicted on whether she had even gone to Disneyland. Disney’s initial alert had only attributed the closure to a need to “cooperate with the pandemic investigation in other provinces and cities”.

Regardless, the park and Disneytown – its retail hub – shut until Wednesday.

On Monday, China reported another 54 cases in a stubborn outbreak of Delta which, while dwarfed by numbers around the world, is threatening China’s commitment to remaining free from Covid.

So far about 500 people have been diagnosed across at least 16 provinces, initially centred around Inner Mongolia but now mostly in Heilongjiang. Throughout the pandemic authorities have responded swiftly and strongly to outbreaks, with sudden lockdowns, transport restrictions and mass testing drives. But the high transmissibility of the Delta variant has seen a rise in more creative attempts to curb its spread.

Communities are largely complying – in Heilongjiang an official bragged of the 35,000 people who rushed to the testing stations, queueing under umbrellas. But tolerance is beginning to wane, especially when it involves so few cases.

In Jiangxi authorities turned all traffic lights red to halt movement after a single case was identified – its first in almost two years. The move was reversed after public outcry. In Beijing some residents complained of glitchy health apps recording their location in the wrong place, and leaving them stranded. On Monday Beijing’s health commission asked people to avoid leaving or returning if possible.

In Ruili, a small town on the border between China’s Yunnan and Myanmar, repeated lockdowns and waves of outbreaks have driven people away. Local media reported that one baby in the city who had been tested 74 times since September.

In late October, someone who claimed to be a Ruili student posted on Weibo that he and his family were unable to return home. Local officials told Chinese media that since 2020 the number of residents had reduced from half a million to 200,000. “Impacted by the epidemic for a long time, many people found life hard to cope with,” one said. The mayor has made an extraordinary plea for help from Beijing.

China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are among the last global jurisdictions still clinging to elimination strategies for the virus. For all three it involves the continuation of strict border closures and quarantine systems.

Some have begun to question the sustainability of the strategy, as the rest of the world begins reopening and accepting life with the virus, mitigated by high rates of vaccination and less intrusive health measures. Others note that the strategy has worked – all three places are largely Covid free, having seen few of the world’s five million recorded deaths.

In Shanghai, Qian praised the response at Disneyland.

“One can really believe in Shanghai for ever. The response speed and the measures to deal with the epidemic are really fast and reasonable,” she said. “This Halloween will be unforgettable, a happy, beautiful, and wonderful journey with no dangers. I hope the epidemic gets better soon and everyone is safe and sound.”

Health

Akwa Ibom records five monkeypox cases

The Akwa Ibom State Government has raised the alarm over the increasing cases of monkeypox in the state, with five confirmed cases recorded so far.

The government has urged residents to be vigilant as the disease spreads across local government areas.

During an update on Friday, September 6, the state government revealed that out of 30 samples collected for diagnosis, five tested positive. The initial four confirmed cases included three males and one female, aged 2, 4, 12, and 41.

Samuel Etuk, the official in charge of disease surveillance and notification at the state Ministry of Health, confirmed the fifth case and noted that contact tracing efforts are underway while the affected individuals are in isolation.

Etuk provided details at a Media Review Meeting organized by Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N) in collaboration with the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (STBLCP).

He emphasized the importance of community involvement in monitoring the disease, with 10 informants engaged in each of the state’s 368 political wards to report cases to health authorities.

Etuk explained that Mpox can be transmitted from animals to humans (a zoonotic process), as well as through direct or indirect human contact. Transmission can occur through contact with urine, blood, faeces, skin lesions, and oral secretions.

Symptoms of Mpox typically appear after an incubation period of 5 to 21 days and include fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, rashes, and muscle pain. The rashes often start on the face and spread to other parts of the body.

To prevent further spread, residents are advised to avoid contact with sick animals or humans, maintain proper hygiene, and report any suspected cases to health authorities or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Etuk reminded the public that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared Mpox a global public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, signaling the need for heightened awareness and preventive measures.

Health

FG to establish blood collection centres in 774 LGAs

The Federal Government has announced plans to establish Blood Collection Centres in all 774 local government areas, including the FCT, to ensure availability of blood during medical emergencies and transfusions.

Abdullahi Haruna, Head, Media and Publicity, National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement quoted Prof. Saleh Yuguda, the Director-General, NBSA, as reiterating government’s commitment towards addressing blood shortages in the country as the initiative would save lives.

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“We are working tirelessly to ensure that blood needs are adequately addressed, and this initiative is a significant step towards achieving that goal.

“NBSA has partnered with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to establish a formidable blood bank at the Corp’s medical facility.

“This collaboration aims to mitigate blood shortages during medical emergencies and provide critical support to sister security agencies,” he said.

He explained that to kickstart the blood collection project, the FCT will host strategic blood collection facilities in easily accessible locations.

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“This move is expected to increase blood donation rates and ensure a steady supply of blood for medical purposes.

“The establishment of blood collection centers across Nigeria is a testament to the government’s commitment to improving the country’s healthcare system.

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“As the project rolls out, Nigerians should expect improved access to blood transfusions and better health outcomes,” he said.

The statement also disclosed that the Deputy Commandant Emeka Okeke of the NSCDC said: “this initiative will play a vital role in addressing blood shortages and saving lives.”

Health

WHO sets targets to end Mpox outbreaks in Africa

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has set a target of halting mpox outbreaks in Africa within the next six months.

This announcement came as the first vaccine shipments are expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, in the coming days.

Africa, particularly the DRC, with over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths, has received only a fraction of the vaccines to combat the virus.

At a press briefing on Monday, September 2, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed confidence in ending the outbreaks, citing strong government leadership and collaborative partnerships.

In August, WHO declared mpox outbreaks a global emergency to spur a more robust international response even though a new strain of mpox known as clade1b, has been identified in many countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Kenya.

The potentially more contagious variant of the virus was detected in Congo in May, prompting heightened concerns among health officials.

WHO estimates that approximately 230,000 vaccines could soon be sent to Congo and other affected countries. The WHO is also implementing educational campaigns to inform people in outbreak areas about preventing the spread of the disease.

Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it aims to receive 380,000 vaccine doses from donors, including the US and the EU, which falls short of the quantity required to eradicate the outbreaks.