China claims victory over Covid-19 with new cases below 65

beijingwalker · Jun 2, 2022

China claims victory over Covid-19 with new cases below 65

June. 1 2022

BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - China has claimed victory over Shanghai's Covid-19 outbreak as the nation reported its fewest cases in more than three months.

A front-page report in the People's Daily newspaper Thursday (June 2) headlined "Great Achievements Have Been Made in the Defence of Shanghai" declared victory in the fight against the virus in the financial hub.

In a separate commentary, the flagship mouthpiece of the Communist Party said the achievement proved yet again that Covid Zero is the strategy most suited for China because of the country's aging population, relatively low vaccination rate among the elderly and children, and inadequate medical resources.

Nationwide reported infections fell to 61 on Wednesday, from 68 on Tuesday and the lowest since Feb 17.

Shanghai, the epicentre of the latest outbreak, reported 13 cases for Wednesday, when most of the city's 25 million residents were released from one of the world's most restrictive pandemic lockdowns after two months.

While the dramatic drop in nationwide infections from a peak of almost 30,000 in mid-April will be seen as vindication of China's Covid Zero strategy, the victory has exacted a hefty toll on the economy, with factories shuttered for weeks and supply chains upended as China deployed the playbook of movement restrictions, mass testing and mandatory isolation of all Covid cases and their close contacts.

The capital, Beijing, only averted a lockdown through aggressive curbs such as asking its 22 million residents to work from home and get tested every day.

The outbreak is effectively controlled, municipal officials said at a Wednesday briefing, though the risk of a flareup remains.

They are mulling measures to stimulate consumer spending after shopping malls and other entertainment venues were shut last month and only recently started to reopen with capacity limits.

To keep the virus at bay, a network of tens of thousands of testing booths is being set up across the country's largest and most economically vital cities, with the goal of having residents always just a 15 minute walk away from a swabbing point.

The infrastructure will allow cities like Beijing, Shanghai and tech hub Shenzhen to require tests as often as every 48 hours, with negative results needed to get on the subway or enter a store.

And with China committed to its Covid Zero policy, the possibility that restrictions will be swiftly reimposed in the event of any further virus flareups hangs over the nation.