China, where COVID-19 was first discovered, has recently reported 16,412 new daily Covid-19 cases. These numbers are the highest ones recorded from China since the start of the pandemic.
Approximately 27 Chinese provinces and regions have reported new cases of Covid-19. The maximum cases recorded are of the Omicron variant, which stands as the most transmissible variant. The surge in new cases has forced supervising authorities to levy strict mobility restrictions and city-wide lockdowns.
Shanghai's financial hub, which is said to be the core center of the current outbreak, has reportedly extended the lockdown for assessing the result of testing its 26 million citizens for Covid-19.
Authorities are still not saying anything related to easing the curbs. Furthermore, 8,581 asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 and 425 symptomatic cases were reported by the city at the start of this week.
Lockdown of the financial capital has disrupted daily life and businesses massively, as healthcare workers and volunteers work 24/7 to test the entire population and supply residents with groceries.
As per official data, major infections reported in Shanghais are asymptomatic; however, the dynamic clearance approach of China requires the management to examine, detect and quarantine all the positive cases centrally. Although, strict containment measures have stimulated pushback and anger from locals.
The PLA (People's Liberation Army) has sent around 2,000 medical personnel from the navy, army and joint logistics support forces to Shanghai, with around 38,000 healthcare professionals already being employed in the city.
This is said to be the major health response for the public from the Chinese government since it has managed to tackle the initial outbreak of COVID-19, which took place in Wuhan.
In a recent development, a sample of Covid patients demonstrated the presence of a new subtype of the Omicron variant. The new variant evolves from the Omicron branch BA.1.1 and is not like the other strains driving the current wave of Covid in China.
Source Credit - https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/china-reports-16412-new-covid-cases-most-since-pandemic-began-shanghai-lockdown-1933562-2022-04-05