China has introduced new measures due to the danger of coronavirus spread

China has introduced new measures due to the danger of coronavirus spread

China is fighting a new wave of COVID-19 in the east of the country, and the largest number of cases of newly infected with is in Shanghai, where 26.087 cases of infection have been reported today, of which only 914 showed symptoms.

Shanghai, a city of 26 million people, has been under strict measures of lockdown for three weeks now, and many residents have to stay locked in their homes. Guangzhou, the metropolis northwest of Hong Kong, where many companies and the busiest Chinese airport are located, has not announced a complete lock for now.

Only 27 new cases of the infection have been reported in the city today.

However, primary and secondary schools switched to online classes when the first 23 infections were recorded last week. The exhibition center has been turned into a temporary hospital since authorities previously announced the start of mass testing in the city.

Only citizens in dire need can leave Guangzhou if they are tested negative for the virus 48 hours before leaving, the authorities announced on social networks.

China is sticking to its zero-COVID policy in dealing with new strain of infection, strict isolation and mass testing, despite complaints in Shanghai about the lack of food and medical services.

The China Daily acknowledged that the measures in Shanghai were far from perfect, and pointed out that three local officials who did not fulfill their duties were fired last week. The paper stated that this should not be an excuse to politicize the situation and accuse China.

Despite large number of cases of infection, no new deaths have been reported in the wave of infection that hit Shanghai, possibly because the omicron strain is less deadly than other strains. City officials also said they had provided supplies following complaints from citizens about food deliveries and other necessities.

Residents of the city resort to group purchases of groceries because they are not allowed to leave apartment buildings, and report that they only partially manage to get the necessary things.

There are relatively few restrictions in the capital Beijing, although the Jiefang District, including the famous art zone, is fenced and marked as a high-risk part since eight cases of the infection have been reported over the past two weeks. China is facing one of the worst waves of infection since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The country is mostly closed to international travel.