China reported on Saturday (03.19.2022) its first two deaths from COVID-19 in more than a year, both in the northeastern province of Jilin, as the country faces its worst spike in cases since the start of the pandemic, reported the National Health Commission,
The deaths were the first recorded in China since January 26, 2021. In total, authorities reported 4,051 new cases on Saturday, up from 4,365 the day before.
The country where the virus emerged in late 2019 has kept the pandemic under control thanks to a combination of strict border controls, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns, and has not reported a coronavirus-related death for more than a year.
But the highly transmissible omicron variant is posing a severe challenge to that strategy, prompting authorities to lock down cities like the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, home to 17.5 million people.
The world’s second-largest economy has gone from registering fewer than 100 infections a day just three weeks ago to more than 1,000 a day for more than a week. Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that the country would “maintain” its anti-virus strategy, state television reported.
Addressing a meeting of top Chinese leaders, Xi said the country should “continue to put people and life first, stick to scientific accuracy and zero dynamics, and curb the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible.” possible,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Tens of millions of people are currently under stay-at-home orders across China to try and stamp out the latest outbreak.
Beijing’s communist leaders have made their management of the pandemic a matter of political capital, saying the low death rate demonstrates the strength of their governance model.
gs (afp, ap)
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