China’s daily Covid cases tally hits record high despite strict curbs

China’s daily Covid cases have hit a record high since the pandemic began, despite the country’s stringent measures to curb the spread of the virus, the National Health Bureau said on Thursday. On Wednesday, China recorded 31,527 domestic cases, with 27,517 without symptoms — higher than the peak (over 29,000 cases) recorded in April, when its largest city Shanghai was locked down.

There was one death, compared with zero the previous day, pushing fatalities to 5,232. As of November 23, mainland China had confirmed 2,97,516 Covid cases with symptoms. Compared with 388 symptomatic and 1,098 asymptomatic cases the day before, China’s capital Beijing reported 509 symptomatic new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 1,139 asymptomatic cases, government data showed.

Financial hub Shanghai reported nine symptomatic cases and 58 symptomatic cases, compared with 15 symptomatic cases and 53 asymptomatic cases a day before, the local health authority reported. Guangzhou, a city in the south of nearly 19 million people, reported 428 new locally transmitted symptomatic and 7,192 asymptomatic cases, compared with 235 symptomatic and 7,735 asymptomatic cases a day before, local authorities said.

More lockdowns, testing and travel restrictions

The spike in Covid cases comes as strict lockdowns continue to spark episodes of unrest. After several major cities, including Beijing and southern trade hub Guangzhou saw a surge in the outbreak, the country is planning to curb the spread with more lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions.

Also read: China reports first COVID death in six months; curbs in place

Though the numbers are relatively small when compared with China’s vast population of 1.4 billion, under Beijing’s strict zero-Covid policy, even tiny outbreaks can shut down entire cities and place contacts of infected patients into strict quarantine.

The zero-Covid policy has triggered anger and resentment among swathes of China’s population as the pandemic nears its third year, sparking sporadic protests across the country. China’s zero-Covid policy has saved lives, but has also affected productivity in the world’s second-largest economy, dealing a punishing blow to the economy and ordinary people’s lives.

Relaxation in Covid restrictions

The hike in the Covid figures on Wednesday exceeded the 29,390 infections recorded in mid-April when China’s megacity Shanghai was under lockdown, with residents struggling to buy food and access medical care.

The rising wave of cases also comes weeks after the country slightly relaxed some of its Covid restrictions. China cut quarantine for close contacts from seven days in a state facility to five days and three days at home, and stopped recording secondary contacts which allowed many more people to avoid having to quarantine.

Also read: China reports 10,000 new virus cases, capital closes parks

Chinese officials have also sought to avoid enforcing blanket lockdowns of the kind endured by Shanghai earlier this year. Faced with a renewed surge in cases in Beijing, as well as the first deaths from the virus in months, officials have implemented some restrictions in several districts, with shops, schools and restaurants closed.

Meanwhile, officials announced that the central city of Zhengzhou is also looking to enforce an effective lockdown for 6 million residents from Friday. It follows violent protests at a vast industrial complex belonging to iPhone manufacturer Foxconn, Apple’s major supplier. The firm has apologised for a “technical error” in its payment systems.