BEIJING: Chinese authorities should adopt a more focused strategy to combat the COVID-19 outbreak and eliminate any unnecessary "layers" of security measures as the city tightens restrictions, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday. As the cases multiply manifold.
The number of coronavirus cases in China is at its highest level since April, raising concerns about the country's zero-COVID policy, which has angered the population and the world's second-largest economy. has hurt. Health authority figures show that 8,824 new domestic cases were reported on Wednesday.
Even if there are more outbreaks, China has repeatedly said that it will maintain its zero-COVID policy. However, the central government is under increasing pressure to rein in overly enthusiastic provincial officials, as they are being blamed for the virus's failure. In the nearly three years since the pandemic, thousands of government officials have been sentenced for a variety of alleged crimes.
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According to Xinhua, "the all-terrain will further enhance the level of scientific and accurate prevention and control, strive to achieve the greatest prevention and control effect at the least cost, and reduce the impact of the epidemic on economic and social development."
Improvements were noted in the application of the measures, including Zhengzhou in the central region of Henan Province.
In Zhengzhou, areas around only a few buildings were cordoned off when infections were detected there; According to Xinhua, the rest of the neighborhood was not controlled "indiscriminately".
In China, where COVID-19 first emerged in December 2019, the costs are being felt across a wide range of industries. According to Haima Automobile, COVID-19 has had a significant negative impact on logistics and employee movements at the Zhengzhou base since October.
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Discontent over strict COVID-19 rules shook Apple supplier and iPhone maker Foxconn this month, and many employees left the facility.
Authorities have launched mass testing in Guangzhou, the southern city of about 19 million people, where more than 2,000 cases were reported for the third straight day on Thursday. At present the city is opposing the lockdown.
However, some locals fear that the kind of lockdown that Shanghai's financial center experienced for several months this year could be imminent.
Mason Long, who works for a gaming company in Guangzhou, claimed a complete lockdown could happen as most of the city's 11 districts are already under new COVID-19 restrictions.
According to Long, three districts have now announced travel restrictions, according to Panyu district. The rest of us in other districts are extremely concerned that it will be implemented across the city and we will experience a lockdown in Shanghai. Personally, I believe it can.
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According to him, many people have already moved to other cities or are planning to do so.