China is experiencing its largest Covid-19 epidemic since the virus appeared in Wuhan at beginning of the pandemic.
The number of Covid cases in the country has risen to near three months high due to an’serious’ new Delta variant outbreak.
Bloomberg reports that more than 600 cases of locally transmitted disease have been identified in 19 of the 31 provinces.
Wednesday’s confirmation by the National Health Commission of 93 new local symptomatic patients for Tuesday was higher than 54 a previous day and the highest daily count since August 9, at the height of China’s last major outbreak.
The majority of local cases were discovered in Heihe, a city located in the northern province Heilongjiang. On Tuesday, 35 infections were reported. Bloomberg reported that three new provinces have been identified with cases: Jiangsu in central Chongqing and Henan in the northern province of Heilongjiang.
Despite the fact that the Chinese government has tightened its controls to limit the spread of Covid infections, the number is rising.
China is currently experiencing the most severe Covid-19 outbreak since the virus was first discovered in Wuhan at the start of the 2019 pandemic.
Local residents line up at temporary Covid-19 testing sites in Chongqing, China for COVID-19 nucleic Acid testing.
In the midst of what the Chinese government described as a “serious” new outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant, the country’s newly transmitted Covid cases have risen to an almost three-month high
Officials have supported the government’s, with officials still sticking with their Covid zero approach. One expert said that the current outbreak would be contained ‘within one month’.
Zhong Nanshan (a leading expert in China’s research on respiratory disease) stated to China Global Television Network that China will maintain its zero-transmission policy for Covid, as the global Covid mortality rate of 2.2% is too high.
Nanshan stated that he believes the zero-transmission policy would remain in place for a very long time. “Exactly how long it will last depends on the global or regional Covid-19 control situations in the coming months.
In Beijing, strict restrictions are expected ahead of a key meeting of the highest-ranking members the Communist Party next Wednesday.
On Tuesday, China’s government urged citizens to stock up on daily necessities and for authorities to take steps to ensure adequate food supplies as the country adopts increasingly tight measures to contain the latest outbreak.
A notice was posted late Monday night on the Ministry of Commerce’s website. It urged families to keep a minimum of daily necessities in order to meet their daily needs and emergency situations.
The directive did not mention a shortage of food or whether the directive was motivated to avoid disruption of supply chains or leaving people locked down in need of food.
China, however, has managed to keep its infection rates low using a Covid zero strategy of targeted lockdowns, border closures, and long quarantine periods. It is now taking more severe measures to contain the latest outbreak ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics which begin on February 4.
Workers set up food supplies at Tiantongyuan’s residential complex. Residents are currently under lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Beijing on Wednesday.
Beijing reported four cases (two each) of Covid-19 in one family on Tuesday: a couple, their child and the daughter’s grandmother.
The cases prompted immediate response. A major primary school and secondary school conducted Covid tests for all students and teachers. Another 16 schools suspended in-person classes on Tuesday.
Tuesday morning, 596 students from the primary school had failed the test and 1,329 from the middle school had failed. The remainder waited for results.
The Commerce Ministry notice directed authorities to take steps to facilitate agricultural production, maintain supply chains smooth, ensure adequate regional food reserves, and maintain stable prices.
China has been hard hit by severe summer flooding in the past two years, which has impacted agricultural output and driven up prices. This raises concerns about the possibility that the problem will worsen with climate change bringing more extreme weather.
Last year, the government launched a national campaign against food waste.
The average wholesale prices for 28 varieties of vegetables in October were up 16% compared to the previous months, according to state media reports.
The government has limited inter-provincial travel, increased testing, and asked people to postpone social gatherings, such as weddings or banquets.
Shanghai Disneyland was one of the many extreme measures taken. It closed its doors temporarily on Sunday night.
As a result, more than 38,000 people were tested.