China’s daily Covid cases have went up to the maximum since the pandemic began, official data showed Thursday, despite the government persisting with a zero-tolerance approach that involves gruelling lockdowns and travel restrictions.
When compared to China’s vast population of 1.4 billion people and the caseloads seen in Western countries at the height of the pandemic, the numbers are relatively small.
However, under Beijing’s strict zero-Covid policy, even minor outbreaks can shut down entire cities and place infected patients’ contacts under strict quarantine.
According to the National Health Bureau, the country recorded 31,454 domestic cases on Wednesday, including 27,517 without symptoms.
As the pandemic’s third anniversary approaches, the unrelenting zero-Covid push has caused fatigue and resentment among large segments of the population, sparking sporadic protests and lowering productivity in the world’s second-largest economy.
On Wednesday, dozens of hazmat-clad personnel wielding batons and chasing employees erupted at Foxconn’s massive iPhone factory in central China.
The latest figures surpass the 29,390 infections recorded in mid-April, when the megacity of Shanghai was shut down and residents were unable to buy food or seek medical care.
As the number of Covid cases increases, several cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing, have tightened Covid restrictions.
According to Beijing authorities, those seeking to enter public places such as shopping malls, hotels, and government buildings must now provide a negative PCR test result within 48 hours. Schools throughout the city have shifted to online learning.
Guangzhou, the southern manufacturing hub where nearly a third of the latest Covid cases were discovered, has built thousands of temporary hospital rooms to accommodate patients.