Shanghai rolls out measures to make vaccinations pleasant and accessible

In front of the T20 Building in Shanghai's downtown Xujiahui area, live concerts have been staged every day, drawing passers-by to stop and appreciate the music.

The target audience, however, was people sitting in the 30-minute observation zone after they received their COVID-19 vaccinations.

The concert was just one of the many ways the authorities have attempted to make the vaccination process as pleasant as possible for Shanghai citizens. Other methods include setting up vaccination sites in business districts during week days for office workers, handing out freebies and shopping coupons for the vaccinated, and free transportation for the elderly to travel to and from vaccination sites.

As of June 27, the vaccination rate among Shanghai residents aged above 18 in seven districts - including downtown Xuhui, Huangpu and Changning districts, as well as suburban Songjiang, Jinshan and Chongming districts - was 77.6 percent, according to the municipal health commission.

Zhang Wenhong, head of the Shanghai team of experts on the treatment of COVID-19 , encouraged the city's residents and health workers to keep up the vaccination efforts.

"We should do our very best to get everyone vaccinated. The more people we have vaccinated, the more difficult the virus spread will be," he told local newspaper Xinmin Evening News.

Zhang also reminded the public to maintain their vigilance and continue to wear masks and practice good hygiene habits.