Hu Yongming: Review and Thoughts on the "War to Defend Greater Shanghai"

Review and reflections on the "Great Shanghai Defense War"

Hu Yongming

Since February 26, 2022, Shanghai has experienced an unprecedented and complex epidemic situation. Facing severe challenges, with the correct leadership of the central government and the full support of the whole country, Shanghai has been reactionary and proactive, and finally won the decisive victory in the "Great Shanghai Defense War". It is relying on the construction of effective long-term mechanisms to consolidate and develop the hard-won anti-epidemic results.

1. Development of the epidemic in Shanghai

Shanghai experienced a stable epidemic situation before February 25, 2022, but the number of infections surged from February 26 to April 13, 2022. In April Since the 14th, the fluctuations in actual local confirmed cases and local asymptomatic infections have decreased, and by May 31, most areas in Shanghai have achieved a dynamic social clearing.

In Shanghai, from January 20, 2020, when the National Health Commission confirmed the city’s first confirmed case of imported new coronavirus infection, to February 25, 2022, there were 371 local confirmed cases in the city. , 7 of whom died.

From February 26, 2022, when the new coronavirus mutant strain Omicron invaded from abroad, to May 31 of the same year, Shanghai had 58,000 local confirmed cases, plus local asymptomatic cases. There are more than 620,000 infected people, including 588 deaths. The number of local confirmed cases and deaths has increased significantly compared with the previous cumulative number.

From the perspective of development, the new wave of epidemic in Shanghai mainly has the following noteworthy situations:

From February 26 to 28, 2022, there were only 5 asymptomatic infections. ;

The first locally confirmed case appeared on March 1, and the number of confirmed cases in Turkey increased to 96 on a single day on March 28;

On March 29, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey on a single day increased There were 326 cases, and as of April 7, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey on a single day increased to 824;

On April 8, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey on a single day was 1,015, and as of April 15, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey on a single day had increased to 824. Reaching a peak of 3,590 cases;

On April 16, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey in a single day was 3,238, and by April 29, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey in a single day dropped to 1,249;

April 30 There were 788 confirmed cases in Turkey on a single day, and by May 14, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey on a single day had dropped to 166.

On May 15, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey in a single day was 69, and by May 31, the number of confirmed cases in Turkey in a single day dropped to 5.

Among them, the actual confirmed cases in the country in a single day (excluding the results of asymptomatic infections, the same below) plus the local asymptomatic infections, the peak was 27,605 cases on April 13.

Taken together, the turning point for the new wave of epidemic decline in Shanghai occurred on April 23. The actual number of local confirmed cases plus local asymptomatic infections that day was 20,517, a decrease of 7.8% from the previous day's 22,250 cases. Since then, the number of actual confirmed cases plus local asymptomatic infections in a single day has never exceeded 19,000. Although there have been seven rebounds from 2.1% to 43.6%, the overall trend is gradually declining.

2. The progress of Shanghai’s fight against the epidemic

Shanghai’s fight against the epidemic went from advanced to lagging to catching up, and finally won the victory in the “Greater Shanghai Defense War”.

From the beginning of 2020 to February 25, 2022, the city’s epidemic situation was stable in Shanghai, creating the miracle and experience of Shanghai’s anti-epidemic of “precise prevention and control, dynamic clearing”, and laying the foundation for winning the Wuhan Defense War, etc. The country has made positive contributions to the fight against the epidemic.

After the Omikron invaded Shanghai, the intensity and speed of Shanghai’s anti-epidemic measures were unable to adapt to the breadth and speed of the spread of new strains of the virus. Therefore, the original lines of defense were broken down by the virus one by one, causing the epidemic to develop for a time. to the point of being uncontrollable.

On March 27, 2022, the Shanghai New Coronavirus Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading Group Office issued the "Notice on Doing a New Round of Nucleic Acid Screening Work in the City" and put it into effect: March 28 Starting at 5 o'clock, Shanghai will implement nucleic acid screening in batches with the Huangpu River as the boundary. The first batch includes Pudong, Punan and adjacent areas (including the entire Pudong New District, the entire Fengxian District, the entire Jinshan District, the entire Chongming District, Pujin Street and Pujiang Town in Minhang District, Xinbang Town and Shihudang District in Songjiang District) Town, Maogang Town, and Yexie Town) first implemented lockdown and carried out nucleic acid screening, and the lockdown was lifted at 5:00 on April 1. At the same time, lockdown management continues to be implemented in key areas in Puxi.

For the second batch, starting from 3:00 on April 1, in accordance with the principle of suppressing and advancing, the Puxi area will be sealed and controlled, nucleic acid screening will be carried out, and the blockade will be lifted at 3:00 on April 5. Determined to subdue Aozhu with one move, and then the city will unblock and return to normal. At that time, Shanghai mobilized and organized medical epidemic prevention personnel, party members and cadres at all levels, volunteers and citizens, and other provinces and cities urgently supported a large number of nucleic acid testing forces. Unfortunately, this move did not receive the expected "realization of social dynamics as soon as possible" The purpose and effect of "clearing". According to statistics, on March 28, the day when the campaign began, the actual confirmed cases and asymptomatic infections in the city were 75 and 4,381 respectively; on the day the campaign ended on April 5, the actual confirmed cases and asymptomatic infections in the city were The cases were 271 and 16,766 respectively. This substantial increase in the number is largely due to screening, which is beneficial to "isolate everything that should be quarantined, collect everything that should be collected, and treat everything that should be treated." However, the key problem is that the development of the epidemic has far exceeded controllability. If the whole country does not mobilize its efforts to exterminate Aozhu, Shanghai will be in danger and even affect the destiny of the country.

At this critical juncture, the central government decisively made arrangements. Starting from April 3, tens of thousands of white-clad soldiers from the People's Liberation Army and medical teams from all over the country rushed to the rescue in Shanghai, a "Greater Shanghai Defense" that determined the fate of the country. "War" kicked off, launching a nearly two-month battle for people's lives and health. After implementing unprecedented super strong, super strict and super fast anti-epidemic feats such as full-area lockdown, full employee screening, all positive cases, exclusive treatment of patients, and management of sealed off areas, control areas, and prevention areas, we finally "turned the tide." We have won the "Greater Shanghai Defense War" and ushered in the unblocking of most areas in Shanghai except medium- and high-risk areas, sealed and controlled areas from June 1.

Since June 1, Shanghai has been restoring normal life and production order in an orderly manner, incorporating epidemic prevention into normal management, and focusing on economic development. In terms of incorporating anti-epidemic into normal management, the focus is on the construction of a long-term anti-epidemic mechanism in the city. Now, every village committee in Shanghai has at least one nucleic acid testing service station, and many nucleic acid testing service stations have also been added on the streets. Citizens need to have a negative nucleic acid test report within 72 hours or even 48 hours when traveling. Many citizens rely on their own Arrangements for travel can be made by arranging nucleic acid tests on one's own, instead of organizing citizens to take nucleic acid tests during the community closure period, citizens will frequently and consciously do nucleic acid tests after the community is unblocked. At the same time, citizens must scan the "place code" when taking buses or entering stores, and must show the green code to enter, ensuring the safety of epidemic prevention in places where people gather.

From the evening of May 31st to June 1st, many citizens outside Shanghai's outer ring set off fireworks and firecrackers to celebrate the victory of the "Greater Shanghai Defense War" and the return of normal life and production in Shanghai. Now, Shanghai has basically returned to the scene before the new wave of epidemics. The difference is that many nucleic acid testing service stations have been added in village committees and streets, and signs such as "Prevention Zone" are hung outside the gates of each community. In addition, there are temporary differences. Long queues outside banks, ATMs, and some meat and food stores are rare in the past. Everything else feels the same as in the past. To sum it up in one sentence, Shanghai is still a prosperous modern and international megacity.

3. Thoughts on winning the “Great Shanghai Defense War”

The hard-won victory in the “Great Shanghai Defense War” should be mainly attributed to three major aspects:

First of all, this is due to the correct decision-making and deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. On March 17 and May 5, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held two meetings to study the epidemic and deploy anti-epidemic arrangements, emphasizing that people should be put first and life first, emphasizing the insistence on dynamic clearing, and demanding "win the Greater Shanghai" Defense War". Faced with the difficult situation of Omik's army being hard to guard against, and when there is confusion in society about whether to "lay down" or "clear", etc., it is the Party Central Committee's decision to "unswervingly adhere to the general policy of 'dynamic clearing' and resolutely agree with The directive spirit of "fighting against all words and deeds that distort, doubt, or negate our country's epidemic prevention principles and policies" played a decisive role in "fixing the sea"; when Shanghai's anti-epidemic defense line was on the verge of "collapse", the Party Central Committee promptly proposed "We will win the battle" "If we win the battle to defend Wuhan, we will surely win the battle to defend Shanghai", and quickly mobilize the whole country to start and win the decisive battle against the epidemic in Shanghai that will determine the fate of the country.

At the same time, it must be attributed to the superiority of the socialist system. A significant advantage of the socialist system is that it can concentrate the efforts of the whole country to accomplish major tasks. This was fully reflected in the "Great Shanghai Defense War".

After the Party Central Committee issued an order, tens of thousands of white-clad soldiers from the People's Liberation Army and medical teams from all over the country flew to and transported to Shanghai without hesitation like "magic soldiers descending from the sky" overnight on April 3, in order to win the "Greater Shanghai Defense War" " provided a guarantee of strength to concentrate superior "forces" to encircle and annihilate the Omicron; a large amount of anti-epidemic materials were continuously delivered to Shanghai from all over the country, providing Shanghai citizens with food, daily necessities and Door-to-door delivery of medicines and other supplies provides material support. It can be said that without strong national strength and material assistance, there would not have been a decisive victory in the "Great Shanghai Defense War".

Furthermore, it must be attributed to the Shanghai party committees, governments at all levels and all the people of the city who worked together to defeat the epidemic. While the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, Municipal Government and its Health Commission were in a passive situation in epidemic prevention and facing various criticisms and censures from inside and outside the city, the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, Municipal Government and its Health Commission always adhered to the actual situation and resolutely implemented the central government's decision-making and deployment, and successively launched the "stubble promotion" according to local conditions. Measures such as "three-district management" have consolidated the implementation of responsibilities of each district, street, town, and neighborhood committee, and fully organized epidemic prevention departments at all levels, all medical personnel, public security police, volunteers, and other forces, and closely relied on the participation and support of the people of the city , relying closely on the support of national anti-epidemic forces and supplies, we finally won the "Great Shanghai Defense War". We have made careful top-level design and planning and deployment in advance, focusing on the construction of a long-term anti-epidemic mechanism in the city, and launched effective measures such as normalizing nucleic acid testing and normalizing QR code scanning in places, and are further consolidating the hard-won "Greater Shanghai Defense War" "Victory results.

Shanghai had to press the pause button for the whole city amid the new wave of epidemics. The losses from work and production shutdowns, the cost of anti-epidemic investments, etc. will inevitably cause a serious decline in the city's economy. Now, while Shanghai is consolidating the results of its victory in the fight against the epidemic, it is accelerating economic development, making up for the losses caused in March, April and May as soon as possible, and achieving "leap-forward development" to create a new miracle of Shanghai's economic take-off and contribute to Shanghai's revitalization. , Make new and greater contributions to the strength of China.

Note: The materials cited in this article are based on the spirit of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Shanghai documents, and the statistical data are based on the "epidemic release" of the National Health Commission and Shanghai Health Commission.

Hu Yongming, Master of Laws from Fudan University, has long been engaged in research work in Shanghai municipal agencies and is committed to transforming research results into practice. He has published more than 40 academic papers and won more than 10 awards. He once served as a special researcher of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Academy of Management Sciences and was included in the "Chinese Encyclopedia of Talents" and other classics.