Delta surge: China reports highest rate of new COVID cases since Jan

pharmafile | August 4, 2021 | News story | Medical Communications, Research and Development  

On Wednesday China reported the highest number of new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since January, with case numbers being driven up by the Delta variant.

Many restrictions have now been put back in place across cities, with cancelled flights and travel bans leading to Nomura downgrading China’s July-September economic growth forecast, as well as its full-year prediction, saying the zero-tolerance approach to the virus was becoming ‘increasingly costly’.

The Delta variant has been detected in over a dozen cities since late July, including the capital, Beijing, and Wuhan, where the COVID-19 outbreak is believed to have originated in 2019.

71 domestically transmitted cases have been reported for 3 August, the highest number since January, with the numbers increasing consecutively for five days.

Most cities are yet to impose strict lockdown measures, but Nanjing and Yangzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, where the majority of China’s local cases have been reported since 20 July, have suspended domestic flights, long-distance shuttle buses, taxis and ride-hailing vehicles from entering and leaving the two cities, and suspended some bus services.

Zhengzhou and Jingzhou have locked up some neighbourhoods and limited public transport in areas considered higher-risk.

Wuhan said it aims to test all its 12 million population in just three days to screen out infections. It has closed parts of an economic development and innovation zone.

Many cities with domestic infections have closed tourist sites and shuttered entertainment venues. The southern tourist city of Zhangjiajie has banned residents and travellers from leaving.

Mainland China had recorded 93,289 confirmed cases by Tuesday. The cumulative death toll was unchanged at 4,636.

Kat Jenkins

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