The Chinese capital, Beijing, recorded a record number of new infections with Covid, on Tuesday, while a set of strict restrictions were imposed on the city, as a result of which residents returned to education and remote work, while many restaurants closed.
More than 28,000 new infections were recorded nationwide. The number is close to the highest level recorded since the outbreak of the epidemic. And the provinces of Guangdong and the city of Chongqing recorded more than 16,000 and 6,300 injuries, respectively, according to health authorities.
New infections in Beijing have also more than doubled in recent days, to 1,438 cases on Tuesday, compared to 621 on Sunday, a record for the city.
The world’s second economic power adheres to the “zero Covid” policy. It imposed sudden lockdowns and widespread testing and quarantine To control the spread of the epidemic, a policy that succeeded in the early stages of the spread of the virus.
But the recent wave of infections is a test of how resilient this policy is, while officials seek to avoid a city-wide lockdown, as happened in Shanghai for two months in April, as the restrictions at that time undermined the economy of the financial center and its image internationally.
Three elderly people in Beijing who suffered from other diseases died of Covid at the weekend, according to the authorities, in the first deaths recorded by China as a result of the epidemic since May.
While the capital has so far avoided a full lockdown, certain buildings have been locked down while residents queued for COVID tests, as many public places require residents to obtain a negative test result 24 hours in advance as a condition of entry.
At the end of the week, the authorities recommended that residents stay in their homes and not move between regions.
On Monday, travelers coming to the city were required to undergo further checks upon arrival.
Many tourist venues, gyms and parks have closed, while major events such as concerts have been cancelled.
China announced the largest easing of Covid-19 measures on its territory so far on November 11, to limit the economic and social repercussions of anti-Covid measures.
The steps included reducing quarantine periods for international travellers.
Many Chinese cities canceled mandatory Covid-19 checks last week, only to re-impose them later, highlighting the difficulty of controlling the rapidly spreading variant, Omicron.
Shijiazhuang, which previously canceled large-scale examinations, began a partial closure on Monday following the number of injuries rose, while several neighborhoods in Guangzhou (south) were closed on the same day.
The limited easing of restrictions did not represent a reversal of the zero Covid policy that has left China isolated internationally, dealt a blow to the economy and sparked protests in a country where any manifestations of dissent are usually crushed.