Fearing families could be separated, US orders staff to leave Shanghai
Fearing families could be separated, US orders staff to leave Shanghai
SHANGHAI, China: Due to concerns that Shanghai's strict COVID-19 lockdown could leave parents separated from their children, the U.S. has ordered all non-essential consulate employees to leave Shanghai and warned Americans not to travel there.
A day before the quarantine appeared to be easing, the U.S. Department of State evacuated staff on April 11.
However, this week, some of Shanghai's 25 million residents were allowed to leave home for the first time in two weeks.
The State Department had also updated its travel advisory, urging Americans to "reconsider" going to China because of "arbitrary enforcement of local laws and COVID-19-related restrictions."
Due to COVID-19-related restrictions, the U.S. issued a stronger "Do not travel" advisory for Hong Kong and Shanghai, including the risk of parents and children being separated.
Travelers will have to "quarantine at a government-designated location for a minimum of 14 days," the department warned, adding that travelers will undergo daily tests and be locked in rooms, and those testing positive will be forced into "a government-designated medical or other quarantine facility."
On 28th March, Shanghai abruptly closed businesses and ordered residents to stay home due to the worsening outbreak of COVID-19.
However, the vast majority of cases have been asymptomatic, with just 998 of the 23,346 new cases, or some 4 percent, recorded in Shanghai reporting any symptoms.
In addition, no deaths have been reported among the 200,000 cases recorded during the latest wave.
During a news conference, Lei Zhenglong of the National Health Commission, said, "The epidemic is in a period of rapid growth. Community transmission has not been effectively contained."
A Foreign Ministry spokesman also defended China's handling of the outbreak and accused Washington of politicizing its evacuation.
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US warns against travel to China over ‘arbitrary’ enforcement of local laws, COVID-19 restrictions
The U.S. State Department has warned against traveling to China as the East Asian country pursues a zero-COVID policy to contain its worst outbreak in two years.
The travel advisory, which was issued on Monday, urged Americans to reconsider trips to certain parts of China due to the government’s “arbitrary enforcement of local laws and COVID-19 restrictions.”
The advisory specifically warned against travel plans to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Jilin Province due to “COVID-19-related restrictions, including the risk of parents and children being separated.”
Additionally, it urged people to reconsider travel to Hong Kong over “arbitrary enforcement of local laws,” which reportedly came after Beijing’s imposition of the National Security Law on June 30, 2020.
In mid-March, China saw its biggest COVID-19 surge in two years. But despite its zero-COVID policy, the country has struggled to contain the latest outbreak.
Shanghai, which was placed on a two-stage lockdown on March 28, reported a record 26,087 cases on Sunday. The lockdown was supposed to end on April 5 but was extended to cover the entire city’s 26 million residents.
In addition to Monday's advisory, the State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency employees and their family members from the U.S.’ Shanghai Consulate. It cited the “surge in COVID-19 cases and the impact of restrictions related to the PRC’s response” as reasons behind its decision.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian condemned the evacuation in a regular press briefing on Tuesday.
“We are strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the U.S.’ politicizing the issue of personnel departure and using it as a tool,” said Zhao.
“We have made solemn representations with the U.S. side,” he added. “The U.S. should immediately stop attacking China’s anti-epidemic policies, stop politically manipulating the epidemic and stop smearing China.”
The move, however, has also frustrated several Americans currently residing in China.
“Many Americans in Shanghai were dismayed to hear of the previous consulate staff departures given the current situation,” Josef Gregory Mahoney, a professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University in Shanghai, told Bloomberg.
He added, “This new order will certainly increase the impression that the situation is worsening despite indications to the contrary, or that this is political posturing on behalf of the U.S., or that consulate staff — who are already rather privileged — are unable to stomach the inconveniences that others are required to endure.”
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Travel chaos grips US: 12,000 flights canceled or delayed over weekend
Some 12,000 flights were either canceled or delayed over the weekend, stranding hundreds of thousands at airports nationwide as airlines said inclement weather in Florida as well as technical glitches snarled air traffic.
Airlines canceled more than 3,500 domestic flights this weekend and delayed thousands more during the peak of spring break holiday travel.
According to FlightAware, which tracks domestic air travel in the country, more than 3,400 flights were canceled and 8,800 flights were delayed as of Sunday afternoon.
Southwest, the largest domestic carrier in the US, canceled 520 flights on Saturday and 398 flights on Sunday.
The company said storms in Florida were also partly to blame since between 40% and 50% of its flights fly through the Sunshine State on any given day.
The airline cited “intermittent performance issues following routine overnight maintenance of some of [its] backend technology.”
JetBlue plane JetBlue was among the major US carriers that canceled hundreds of flights over the weekend. AP
“We offer heartfelt apologies to our customers for any inconvenience, and gratitude to our employees who are working diligently to make it up to them,” the airline wrote in a statement.
“We’ll continue to update customers whose journey with us today might be delayed as result of the now-resolved issues.”
Spirit, whose hub is in Fort Lauderdale, canceled 27% of its flights on Saturday and 27% on Sunday.
JetBlue canceled a quarter of its flights on Sunday and 15% of its Saturday offerings, according to FlightAware.
“Severe weather in the Southeast and multiple air traffic control delay programs have created significant impacts on the industry,” a JetBlue spokesperson said in an email.
“Today’s cancellations will help us reset our operation and safely move our crews and aircraft back in to position.”
Florida weather forecast Airlines said inclement weather in Florida as well as technical glitches were to blame for the cancellations and delays. The Weather Channel
American Airlines canceled 364 flights on Saturday and 211 more on Sunday.
Alaska Airlines seemed to be dealing with a separate issue.
The airline said Sunday that weekend flight cancellations that began Friday have affected more than 37,000 customers and, further cancellations were possible.
The airline declined to say why it canceled flights, but referred in its statement to contract negotiations with its pilots.
Off-duty pilots picketed in several US cities Friday over stalled negotiations. They have been without a new contract for three years.
“Alaska Airlines failed to properly plan for increased travel demand and take the steps necessary to ensure it attracted and retained pilots,” the pilots union said in a Friday press release.
With Post wires
