Another new Covid record in China, anti-govt hype over restrictions | Top 5 | World news
It was a double whammy for China as Covid cases continued to rise while anti-government protests spread across many parts of the country on Sunday.
China registered its fifth straight daily record of 40,347 new infections on Sunday, of which 3,822 were symptomatic and 36,525 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission was cited as saying by Reuters news agency.
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The country counts its asymptomatic and symptomatic cases separately. As it registers new records, the capital of Beijing and other major cities have been in tensions due to demonstrations. The government’s strict policy – the Zero-Covid policy – to contain the spread has sparked public outrage and hundreds of people have taken to the streets.
Here are the top points on 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 found and the toll remained unchanged at 5,233, Reuters reported.
2. Health authorities in Shenzhen lifted restrictions on public spaces on Sunday amid a surge in infections. It has been reported that restaurants have been ordered to limit customers to no more than 50 percent of the venue’s capacity, while places including cinemas, libraries and art galleries are also under the 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 heavy selling in Chinese stocks, according to a Reuters report. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index, China’s CSI300 Index declined 2.22 per cent and the yuan fell in morning trade.
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4. In Shanghai, people will need to have a negative PCR test within the last 48 hours before entering restaurants, bars and shops and other such places from Tuesday. On Sunday, people in Beijing, braving the cold, gathered for a closed-door rally. Many of the protesters were seen holding blank white papers, which are a symbolic protest against censorship, AFP news agency reported.
5. One of the main causes for the uproar is said to be a fire in an apartment building in the northwest of China’s Xinjiang province that killed ten people and injured many others. Citizens have blamed the protests for hampering the rescue operations.
(Including agency inputs)
