Covid cases in China have hit a new high, and people are fearing for their life
Covid cases in China have now reached a new high; since the pandemic began. Official data shows China's Covid cases have reached a deadly 55,616, with a weekly average of 21,000 cases. (The real numbers, given that it is information shared by China, will likely be much higher.)
Earlier this month, the Chinese government gave its citizens a glimmer of hope by easing its zero-Covid policy and restrictions. However, the Chinese government is now reverting to the usual, with misery and anxiety returning to the lives of its inhabitants as Covid cases hit a new high.
However: Approximately 90% of all recorded cases are asymptomatic (which is something the government overlooks, given the government's zero-Covid policies). The increase in cases, however, is cause for alarm, but the measures that the Chinese government will take to contain the cases are more so.
What is the government doing now? Even though there hasn't been an announcement of a complete lockdown so far,
- Major cities such as Chongqing and Guangzhou (the iPhone factory city) will be shut down beginning Friday, with a complete 'mobility lockdown' applied.
- Thousands of quarantine centres and locked areas are being seen in the capital city of Beijing.
- Cities are once again expanding their testing efforts and building makeshift hospitals to quarantine the growing number of people who are infected.
- All 41,000 quarantine spots it had available were already filled as Chongqing raced to contain the newest outbreak, NPR reports
The Chinese authorities call it Silent Management, which means residents cannot
- leave their homes,
- go to work, or
- travel.
How China's zero-Covid policy is impacting its GDP: China, the world's second-largest economy, has had a negative impact on its commercial activity thanks to its strict Covid regulations. Due to China's lockdown measures, the national GDP hardly increased in the second quarter. As of the conclusion of the third quarter, year-on-year growth was only 3%, significantly below the stated target of roughly 5.5% announced in March.
What is China's zero-Covid policy? The zero-Covid policy was one of the most important points in Xi Jinping's last month's election campaign for his re-election for his third term (which he won). Given that China has chosen to follow that zero-Covid rule, the country has some of the harshest Covid containment measures in the world.
Read More: Why does China keep getting Covid outbreaks?