New cases declined for the ninth day, dropping 6.8 per cent to 7,333 in the previous 24 hours; symptomatic cases fell 7.7 per cent to 727. The positive outlook was sullied by 58 new cases that popped up in areas previously regarded as low-risk ‘precautionary zones’

Shanghai’s daily new Covid-19 cases rebounded in unguarded low-risk zones after staying clear for two days, a reversal that underscored the challenges in stamping out the highly transmissible Omicron variant, even amid a month-long citywide lockdown.

New cases declined for the ninth straight day, dropping 6.8 per cent to 7,333 in the previous 24 hours, according to official data released on Monday. Symptomatic cases fell 7.7 per cent to 727, while the death toll decreased by 16 per cent to 32 from a day earlier.

The improving outlook was sullied by 58 new infections found in so-called “precautionary zones” – classified as unguarded areas without a single case in the past 14 days. It galvanised local authorities to tighten their controls again, curbing even the limited movements by residents in those zones.

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