Reporter: “The new infection was recently said to be imported, not domestically transmitted.” Mr. Chen: “Of course, there are domestic cases. How could there not? Wuhan has new cases. It is rubbish for media to say there are zero domestic cases. If it’s indeed zero, why are Hubei citizens forbidden to enter Beijing?” Mr. Chen: “ There are both domestic and overseas infections. There are cross transmissions with this unknown latent phase. It’s also required to wear masks in Shanghai. A person got infected after just 16 seconds of contact. Their encounter in a public place was recorded on a surveillance camera and was reported on TV just a few days ago.”
Reporter: “Have companies in Shanghai resumed operations?” Mr. Chen: “Yes, there’s an order that industries resume production. Even hotels will open. But on March 29, Shanghai authorities closed hotels again. Amusement parks, zoos, and so on were open for a few days but are now closed.”
Reporter: “What does that mean?” Mr. Chen: “That tells us a new outbreak of CCP virus infection is taking place in Shanghai.” Mr. Yin: “I have seen more than 10 national chain hotels designated as quarantine sites. Other than that, nothing seems especially worrisome. That’s how it looks on the surface. But there’s no definitive answer about schools reopening which is concerning.”
Reporter: “Are schools set to re-open in September?” Mr. Yin: “It is said so, but not officially.”
Reporter: “How do you make sense of that?” Mr. Yin: “It’s clear there are new infections. Otherwise, it would be back to normal. The school should re-open. With all the propaganda, everything looks okay, and people don’t feel any sense of crisis. If you analyze it based on schools’ reopening dates, you realize there are still problems even though there’s no news on any isolation or new cases in our area.”
Reporter: “Are people alert or relaxed?” Mr. Yin: “Not exactly relaxed. There’s not much gathering or chatting on the streets. Not many people stroll on the streets. People go out mainly for grocery shopping or errands.”
Reporter: “Shall we assume this border closing order suggests the outbreak is getting more serious than it was?” Mr. Hu: “ That’s for sure, it will only get serious. I heard that Hongkou Football Stadium had become a makeshift hospital. There are also 11 chain motels in Shanghai designated as quarantine sites.”
Reporter: “When did that happen?” Mr. Hu: “ I don’t know. It was never officially reported. Yesterday, a friend’s nephew, who works at the Shanghai Hongqiao High-speed Railway Station, said that many of the high-speed train crews had been quarantined.”
