Karaoke bars hit wrong note over virus transmission

Shanghai authorities have stepped up inspections of indoor recreational places after nearly 200 recent COVID-19 infections were traced back to several Karaoke bars and pubs that reopened without authorities' approval.

Karaoke bars, Internet cafes, mahjong and poker lounges, live-action role-playing games venues and other indoor recreational places are not allowed to operate as a large number of people could gather in the enclosed spaces, at a huge risk of virus transmission, the Shanghai Culture and Tourism Bureau said today.

The bureau published the phone numbers of each district's law-enforcement authorities and called on local residents to file reports of any illegal operation of such facilities. People can also call the city's non-emergency hotline 12345 to file reports.

As of yesterday, more than 180 infections have been detected among people who visited local karaoke bars and pubs which reopened without approval.

Here is the list of phone numbers of districts' law enforcement departments:

Pudong: 50500522, 50769313

Huangpu: 63021926, 63461778

Jing'an: 66058705

Xuhui: 54893481, 64365333

Changning: 62423432

Putuo: 52655600

Hongkou: 65454645

Yangpu: 65191668

Baoshan: 66799993, 66788183

Minhang: 64988350

Jiading: 59919110

Jinshan: 67962133

Songjiang: 57728027

Qingpu: 59859993

Fengxian: 57411149

Chongming: 59611456