China increases number of official coronavirus infections to 2,157

China reported this Friday 2,157 new cases of covid detected the day before, according to the National Health Commission, which in recent days had registered a decrease in the number of infections despite the fact that many cities are dealing with outbreaks.

In recent times, Chinese cities have canceled the constant PCR test campaigns for all their residents that had been common for months, which translates into the detection of fewer infected people.

Look: “If Russia wins, China will do the same to us”: Taiwanese fighting (and dying) for Ukraine

In addition, the health authorities this week stopped counting asymptomatic cases because “it is no longer possible to determine their real number.”

Of the 2,157 cases detected on Thursday, 2,091 are local and 66 are imported, with most of the infections by local transmission located in Guangzhou (southeast), Beijing and Chongqing (center).

According to the Commission’s accounts, since the start of the pandemic the country has registered a total of 374,075 infections and 5,235 deaths, with 34,707 active cases -193 of them serious- at this time.

In recent days, the official press has begun to minimize the risk of the omicron variant through numerous articles and interviews with experts, a turn of argument that accompanies the relaxation of some of the strictest measures of the ‘zero’ policy. covid’, in force for almost three years.

The authorities have already stated that the “conditions” are in place for the country to “adjust” its measures in this “new situation” in which the virus causes fewer deaths, although they have also announced a plan to speed up vaccination of the elderly, one of the most vulnerable groups but at the same time more reluctant to be inoculated.

Likewise, the Chinese Executive announced this month that it will allow those infected with asymptomatic or mild symptoms to isolate themselves in their homes – until now, transfer to a quarantine center was mandatory – and indicated that it will no longer be necessary to have a negative covid test to enter in most places and establishments, with the exception of hospitals or schools.

The changes came after the weariness of the restrictions crystallized in protests in various parts of the country after the death of ten people in an apparently confined building in Urumqi (northwest), with slogans such as “I don’t want PCR, I want to eat” or “give me back my freedom”.

The Government defends that it has saved millions of lives through the ‘zero covid’, which consists of the isolation of all those infected and their close contacts, strict border controls, partial or total confinement in places where cases are detected and constant PCR tests to the urban population.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.