It’s a double whammy for China as Covid cases continued to rise while anti-government protests raged in many parts of the country on Sunday. China recorded its fifth daily record of 40,347 fresh infections on Sunday, of which 3,822 were symptomatic and 36,525 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission cited. A country counts its asymptomatic and symptomatic cases separately. As it registers new records, the capital Beijing and other major cities have been engulfed in tension due to demonstrations. The government’s tough strategy – the Zero-Covid policy – to curb the spread sparked public frustration and hundreds of people took to the streets.
Here are the main points about the Covid situation in China:
1. Of the 40,347 infections reported in China on Sunday, 3,822 were symptomatic and 36,525 were asymptomatic. No new deaths were reported and the death toll remained unchanged at 5,233.
2. Health authorities in Shenzhen tightened restrictions on public spaces on Sunday due to a surge in infections. Restaurants have reportedly been ordered to limit customers to a maximum of 50 percent of the venue’s capacity, while venues including cinemas, libraries and art galleries have also been subject to a limit.
3. Stocks and oil fell sharply on Monday as protests against the Chinese government’s zero-Covid policy raised concerns about the country’s handling of the pandemic. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 2.2 percent, dragged down by a big selloff in Chinese markets. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, China’s CSI300 index fell 2.22 percent and the yuan fell in morning trading.
4. In Shanghai, starting Tuesday, people will be required to have a negative PCR test within the last 48 hours before entering restaurants, bars, shopping malls and other similar places. On Sunday, people in Beijing, braving the cold, gathered for an anti-lockdown rally. Many protesters were seen holding blank white papers in a symbolic protest against censorship.
5. One of the main triggers of the uproar is said to be a fire in an apartment building in China’s northwest Xinjiang region, which killed 10 people and injured several others. Local residents blame curbs for hampering rescue operations.
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