Chaos at Shanghai airport as authorities order mass Covid-19 testing

China has reported new coronavirus cases in the cities of Shanghai and Tianjin as it seeks to prevent small outbreaks from becoming larger ones. At Shanghai's Pudong airport, the testing lead to chaotic scenes.

Medical staff gearing up to perform mass tests on passengers at Shanghai's Pudong Airport after several people were found positive with the Covid-19 virus. . CNS/AFP/Archivos

China's National Health Commission said Tuesday that there were two new locally spread cases in the previous 24-hour period, one in each city. It also reported 20 cases among people who had arrived from overseas.

In Shanghai, the mass testing of 17,719 workers at the city’s Pudong aiport found one infection, a Fedex employee. Everyone else tested negative.

Three UPS workers at the airport have also tested positive in recent days, along with the wife of one of them. In all, Shanghai has reported eight non-imported cases since Friday.

According to Chinese official media, testing proceeded in an orderly fashion, but several videos posted on Twitter and other social media --which were not independently confirmed-- show masses of people who are barely controlled by personnel in hazmat suits. 

Wild scenes at Shanghai Pudong airport - multiple vids going around of what appears to be a sudden decision by authorities to test all staff for #COVID19 after 2 positive cases detected. Reports say authorities ultimately relented as things were getting out of hand. pic.twitter.com/Xenus4dHPR

— Bill Birtles (@billbirtles) November 22, 2020

In Tianjin, where 2.3 million people had been tested as of Monday, the city reported one case in a person who developed symptoms after testing positive earlier. China does not include people without symptoms in its confirmed case count.

To date, the health commission has recorded 86,464 confirmed cases and 4,634 deaths in China.