The Chinese capital of Beijing reported a record 5,006 Covid cases on Wednesday, as the country struggles to get hold of the worst-ever outbreak of viral contagion amid growing public anger against President Xi Jinping’s zero Covid regime. Across China, new Covid infections numbered 34,942 for Wednesday, coming slightly off a peak of 38,808 registered over the weekend.
The officials in Beijing have refrained from declaring mass testing as many districts remain at standstill due to creeping curbs.
Reports said that with the surging numbers of Covid-infected people, Beijing is seeing its makeshift hospitals for mild Covid patients and those for treating more severe ones near capacity, which has also allowed more people to isolate at home by default.
People in Beijing remain fearful not just of the virus but of getting identified as a close contact and sent to government isolation facilities where conditions are poor, Bloomberg reported.
While case numbers may be naturally leveling off, the lowered count may also stem from recent moves to exempt those who stay at home for long periods of time, like children and the elderly, from frequent testing.
Across China, cities facing outbreaks have moved away from broad rules. Guangzhou on Wednesday ended lockdown measures in all but one of its 11 districts. Restrictions remained in many high-risk areas, leaving in place a complex web of rules for locals to navigate. Guangdong province reported 7,252 cases for Wednesday, while western metropolis Chongqing recorded 6,584.
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