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China COVID outbreak grows with millions under lockdown

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="People line up for nucleic acid-based testing to detect COVID-19, in the Chaoyang district of Beijing, China, July 11, 2022. According to the National Health Commission, nearly 70 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were detected in 31 Chinese provinces on July 12,. Three cities – Lanzhou, Haikou and Xi" an="" imposed="" partial="" lockdowns="" and="" mass="" testing="" starting="" July="" Wu="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/07/16/people-line-up-epa.jpg"/><figcaption>People line up for nucleic acid-based testing to detect COVID-19, in the Chaoyang district of Beijing, China, July 11, 2022. According to the National Health Commission, nearly 70 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were detected in 31 Chinese provinces on July 12,. Three cities – Lanzhou, Haikou and Xi&#x27;an – imposed partial lockdowns and mass testing starting July 11. Wu Hao, EPA-EFE</figcaption></figure></div><p>China on Saturday reported its highest number of coronavirus cases since May, with millions in lockdown this weekend as authorities persist with their zero-COVID policy.</p><p>Using snap lockdowns, long quarantines and mass testing, China is the last major economy still pursuing the goal of eliminating outbreaks, even as the strategy takes a heavy toll on the economy.</p><p>China reported 450 local infections on Saturday, up from 432 a day earlier. Most cases were asymptomatic.</p><p>The rising wave of cases led to fresh restrictions this week in some parts of the country.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/16/22/palace-says-current-covid-19-alert-levels-extended">Palace says current COVID-19 alert levels extended; to be reviewed on Monday</a></li></ul><p>Lanzhou, the capital of northwestern Gansu province, ordered its 4.4 million residents to stay home starting Wednesday, and a county in Anhui province went into lockdown from Friday.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/16/22/safe-reopening-of-full-in-person-classes-sought">Safe reopening of classes sought, as gov’t pushes for full in-person learning</a></li></ul><p>Beihai in the southern Guangxi region on Saturday also announced lockdowns in parts of two districts that are home to more than 800,000 people.</p><p>&quot;Currently, the epidemic prevention and control situation in Beihai city is severe and complicated, and the risk of hidden transmission in the community is relatively high,&quot; said a government notice announcing the restrictions.</p><p>Earlier in the week, the steelmaking hub of Wugang in central Henan province announced a three-day lockdown over a single COVID case.</p><p>The fast-spreading omicron variant of the virus has been a major challenge for Chinese authorities, as they try to limit the economic damage caused by COVID restrictions.</p><p>China logged its slowest second-quarter growth rate since the initial COVID outbreak, with GDP expanding just 0.4 percent on-year.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2125781" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

China is the last major economy still pursuing the goal of eliminating outbreaks, even as the strategy takes a heavy toll on the economy.