The US State Department has ordered the departure of all US Consulate staff in nonemergency roles due to an increase of more than 23,000 daily infections in Shanghai. The city’s health authorities announced the rise in Covid-19 infections earlier this week, prompting the State Department to evacuate the city. Employees were given the green light to leave voluntarily previously, however, that turned into an “ordered departure” this week in which all nonemergency staff will be required to evacuate. Shanghai is China’s most important business and financial center that is now under a citywide lockdown.
In Shanghai, 25 million residents are now confined to their homes or located in centralized quarantine facilities. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman expressed the country’s dissatisfaction in the US, claiming that the country politicized the evacuation. He also asked the US to stop attacking Chinese Covid-19 prevention policies and using the virus as an excuse to vilify the country. The State Department confirmed that it will review the status of its safety advisory in 30 days.
Read More: U.S. Orders Departure of Consulate Staff and Family From Shanghai Due to Covid-19 Surge
