Mainland Covid Curbs Intensify As Cases Surge

Mainland authorities have stepped up Covid-19 lockdowns and other curbs to halt clusters from spreading as the nation's caseload soared to its highest since this year's Shanghai lockdown, with Beijing and Zhengzhou seeing record daily cases.

China reported on Friday 10,535 new locally-transmitted cases for November 10, the highest since April 29, when the commercial hub of Shanghai was battling its most serious outbreak.

The nationwide surge is still small by global standards and for a country of 1.4 billion people.

The southern city of Guangzhou, the current epicentre of the nation's Covid fight, reported 2,824 new local cases for November 10, the fourth day in which infections exceeded 2,000.

Driving the infections were cases in the populous district of Haizhu, which on Friday declared a hard lockdown until Sunday after days of widening restrictions and curbs.

"All residents are required to stay at home," the district government said in a statement. "Only one person in each household is allowed to buy daily necessities on a staggered schedule."

All public transit in the district of 1.8 million people is also suspended, and mandatory PCR tests will be administered to "every household and every individual", according to the statement.

Other major cities such as Beijing, Zhengzhou and Chongqing have tightened measures this week as daily cases renewed all-time highs.

Beijing reported 118 new local cases for November 10, a daily record but still low compared with other mainland cities.

Still, many parts of the city of nearly 22 million people started to urge residents to undergo PCR tests every day, or be barred entry to public spaces including office blocks, leisure venues and fitness centres.

Organisers said this week that the Beijing Auto Show – a high-profile event that draws global brands – will not be held this year.

Meanwhile, the new top leadership body of the ruling Communist Party on Thursday reaffirmed the country's zero-Covid policy, saying measures should not be relaxed, with state media reporting that "20 measures" would be further improved, without elaborating.

In its meeting, the Politburo Standing Committee stressed the need to minimise the impact of those measures on the economy.

Strategies that oversimplify containment measures, one-size-fits-all policies, and extra "layers" of measures should be avoided, according to the state media readout of the meeting. (Reuters)

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