China sees new surge in COVID outbreaks
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seen in The Tennessean
March 8, 2022
BEIJING – China is seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases across the vast country, despite its “zero tolerance” approach to dealing with outbreaks.
Mainland China reported 214 new cases of infection over the previous 24 hours, with the most, 69, in the southern province of Guangdong bordering on Hong Kong, which has been recording tens of thousands of cases per day.
Another 54 cases were reported in the Jilin province, more than 1,200 miles to the north, and 46 in the eastern province Shandong.
In his annual report to the national legislature Saturday, Premier Li Keqiang said China needs to “constantly refine epidemic containment” but gave no indication Beijing might ease the “zero tolerance” strategy.
“Zero tolerance” requires quarantines and lockdowns on entire communities and sometimes even cities when as few as a handful of cases have been detected. Chinese officials credit the approach – along with a vaccination rate of more than 80% – with helping to prevent a major nationwide outbreak, but critics say it is taking a major toll on the economy and preventing the population from building up natural immunity.
No new cases were reported in Beijing, and the city was largely back to normal, although masks continue to be worn in public places indoors.
The latest daily case numbers mark some of the highest since the initial outbreak in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019 that is believed to have sparked the pandemic.
Gary writes: "Is this a new Premonition?"
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