Washington, April 12, (dpa/GNA) - The US Department of State on Monday ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees from the Shanghai consulate amid a growing coronavirus outbreak and controversial measures in place to curb it.
The order also applies to “all family members” of the US staff “due to a surge in COVID-19 cases and the impact of restrictions related to the PRC’s response,” the State Department said in a statement.
On Friday night, the department had issued a travel advisory urging citizens to reconsider travel to China.
It warned against travel to Hong Kong, Jilin province and Shanghai due to Covid-19 restrictions, including the risk of parents and children being separated. For Hong Kong it also warned of the arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
The departure of non-emergency US consulate staff is likely to shut down regular operations at the Shanghai consulate until further notice.
China is experiencing its worst coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic began two years ago.
Among the worst hit are Shanghai on China’s central coast and the cities of Shenyang and Changchun in China’s north-east. Wide-ranging restrictions on movement are in effect due to China’s strict zero-Covid policy. A total of 38 million people live in the three cities.
Anyone who is infected in China must go to a hospital or a quarantine facility.
The practice of separating small children from their parents prompted a backlash. In Shanghai, authorities on Wednesday that uninfected parents there could apply to accompany children in need of support into isolation.
GNA