In China, the fight against the spread of Covid-19 remains a priority. This Saturday, the Middle Kingdom recorded its highest number of Covid-19 cases since May and millions of people across the country spent the weekend in confinement under the strict “zero Covid” policy.
450 cases nationwide
China is the latest major country in the world to pursue the goal of eliminating the epidemic through lockdowns, prolonged quarantines and mass testing, although this strategy has a heavy impact on the economy.
A total of 450 mostly asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 were registered nationwide on Saturday, up from 432 the day before, according to authorities.
This increase in cases this week led to the adoption of new restrictions in various parts of the country.
Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, ordered its 4.4 million residents to stay home on Wednesday. A county in Anhui province has been under lockdown since Friday.
Lockdowns are on the rise
Earlier in the week, a general lockdown was imposed on Wugang, a major steel hub in the central province of Henan, after a single case of Covid-19 was found.
In Beihai, Guangxi province, authorities on Saturday announced partial lockdowns in two districts with more than 800,000 residents.
“Currently, the epidemic prevention and control situation in Beihai City is serious and complicated, and the risk of progressive transmission in the community is relatively high,” said a government notice announcing the restrictions.
The faster-spreading Omicron variant poses a major challenge to China’s “zero covid” policy.
The country saw its economic growth collapse in the second quarter to sign its worst performance since 2020, due in particular to health restrictions.
Source: BFM TV
