This Chinese city is at the center of a covid outbreak 2:04
Hong Kong (CNN) -
China is struggling to contain its most widespread covid-19 outbreak since the first wave of infections that began in Wuhan in 2019.
Although subsequent outbreaks have recorded a higher total number of cases, this outbreak has spread further, to 19 of China's 31 provinces - more than half the country - that have reported cases since the outbreak began in mid-October. according to the National Health Commission of China.
On Wednesday, that Commission reported 93 new symptomatic cases, the highest daily count in three months.
About 500 cases have been reported across the country since the outbreak began, according to the state tabloid Global Times.
The number may seem small compared to other countries in the West, many of which still report tens of thousands of cases each day.
But it's huge for China, which has stuck to its "zero covid" approach, which includes strict border controls and lengthy quarantines for international arrivals.
Germany is experiencing a "massive" unvaccinated pandemic, says Health Minister
This approach, which aims to eradicate the virus completely within China's borders, means that even a handful of cases are considered a serious threat.
The ongoing outbreak began on October 16, when infections were detected among a group of fully vaccinated senior tourists from Shanghai, traveling through northern China.
The cases skyrocketed and spread to the northern provinces;
By the following week, officials from China's National Health Commission warned of "multiple scattered local outbreaks" in the north and northwest, which were "spreading rapidly."
advertising
Authorities immediately jumped into action, following the protocol that has successfully contained previous outbreaks: mass testing, instant lockdowns, quarantines, travel suspensions, and vigilant surveillance.
Officials banned travel between provinces in affected regions.
In a popular tourist destination, all residents and tourists were prohibited from leaving their homes.
The capital, Beijing, tightened restrictions on entry into the city and punished offenders by putting them in criminal detention.
Several cities, including Lanzhou, which has reported several dozen cases, have been confined, affecting millions of residents in total.
But the virus spread rapidly anyway, raising questions about the sustainability of the zero covid approach, as well as the effectiveness of China's emergency responses, as outbreaks arrive more frequently over longer periods of time.
When can children under 5 years of age be vaccinated against covid-19?
What parents need to know
China's first outbreak, at the start of the pandemic in Wuhan, had largely been brought under control in March 2020, and cases remained low for the rest of the year.
Although there were occasional exacerbations, these too were quickly contained;
By the end of the year, much of daily life had returned to normal, with businesses up and running and domestic travel resumed.
But 2021 also brought the arrival of the highly infectious delta variant, which has wreaked havoc around the world.
That variant caused severe outbreaks in many Asian countries that, until then, had contained the virus relatively well, including Australia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam.
The most contagious variant, and growing advice from international health experts that covid would likely become endemic, has led many of those countries to abandon the zero covid approach and instead adapt to "living with covid." .
In China, too, the effects of the delta variant are becoming clear.
After its long period of relative normality, the country has seen several outbreaks in recent months alone, with little time in between to recover.
And concerns remain about the efficacy of Chinese vaccines, especially against the delta variant.
As of Tuesday, about 2.3 billion doses had been administered, and as of the end of October, 76% of the population was fully vaccinated, according to China's National Health Commission, but that hasn't stopped the outbreaks from spreading rapidly. and widely.
This summer, China experienced one of its most serious outbreaks yet, fueled by the delta variant.
The variant was first detected in July, in the eastern city of Nanjing;
soon, infections were reported in dozens of cities and eventually spread to 16 provinces.
After the family routine of mass testing, lockdowns, movement restrictions and mandatory quarantines, cases fell to normal levels in late August.
Despite the apparent success, the summer outbreak took longer to contain than previous outbreaks, and had spread much faster between cities.
ANALYSIS |
A four-year-old sick with covid-19 separated from his parents highlights the human cost of China's covid zero policy
Residents and authorities had only a few weeks to catch their breath before another outbreak emerged in September in Fujian province.
This time, the images of the government's strict containment measures, including the separation of children as young as 4 years from their parents during the quarantine, generated international concern and criticism.
By September 29, health officials declared that the Fujian outbreak had been brought under control.
Less than three weeks later, the current outbreak emerged.
Yet despite the increased frequency and duration of its outbreaks, China shows no signs of changing its strategy, even doubling down as it prepares for two high-profile events: a crucial gathering of Communist Party elites, the next weekly;
then the Winter Olympics in Beijing next February.
"In the face of continued covid-19 outbreaks, health experts believe that China cannot abandon its zero tolerance approach for now," said a Global Times editorial on Wednesday, warning that "lifting the strict controls would lead to an outcome. catastrophic".
Covid-19
