China's Covid Cases Highest Since Pandemic Began, Topping Shanghai Outbreak In April

In what appears to be a deja vu moment for the entire world, China again sees a surge in Covid-19 cases. On Wednesday, the country reported the highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic began nearly three years ago, official data showed.

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The numbers and the telling tale

Excluding imported cases, the number of new local cases was 31,444 on November 23, of which 3,927 were symptomatic and 27,517 were asymptomatic, health authorities said on Thursday.

New cases recorded are more than the 28,973 infections recorded in mid-April when the financial hub of Shanghai was amid a gruelling two-month lockdown - that saw residents struggle to access food and medical services.

The data shows the outbreak has only grown since the country adopted a more targeted approach to containing the virus, including zero-covid measures.

The numbers are relatively small when compared with China's vast population of 1.4 billion and the caseloads seen in Western countries at the height of the pandemic.

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Zero-covid policy didn't work?

But under Beijing's strict zero-Covid policy, even small outbreaks can shut down entire cities and place contacts of infected patients into strict quarantine.

The unrelenting zero-Covid push has caused fatigue and resentment among swathes of the population as the pandemic's third-anniversary approaches, sparking sporadic protests and hitting productivity in the world's second-largest economy.

On Wednesday, violent protests erupted at Foxconn's vast iPhone factory in central China, with video showing dozens of hazmat-clad personnel wielding batons and chasing employees. Several cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing have tightened Covid restrictions as cases surge.

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New measures in place

Beijing authorities said that the capital now requires a negative PCR test result within 48 hours for those seeking to enter public places such as shopping malls, hotels and government buildings. Schools across the city have moved to online classes.

The southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou -- where nearly a third of the latest Covid cases were found -- has built thousands of temporary hospital rooms to accommodate patients.

And Shijiazhuang, a city neighbouring Beijing that was seen as a pilot for testing reopening strategies, reversed most of its easing measures this week.

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"The path to reopening may be slow, costly and bumpy," Ting Lu, chief China economist at Nomura, said in a note. "Shanghai-style full lockdowns could be avoided, but they might be replaced by more frequent partial lockdowns in a rising number of cities due to surging Covid case numbers."

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