Covid-19: China battles multiple outbreaks driven by ‘stealth Omicron’, logs 5,280 new cases

China saw more than 5,200 new Covid cases for the first time since the early days of the pandemic as the country battles multiple outbreaks driven by the highly contagious ‘stealth Omicron’ variant, reports said.

Several cities have gone under lockdown, imposing fresh restrictions. While not a large number if compared globally, it’s a significant tally for Beijing which has kept the numbers low for most part of the last two years through a strict “Zero Covid” strategy that is now being challenged.

These are top five updates on surge in Covid cases in China:

Biggest spike after two years

Before Tuesday, China had seen just two days when Covid cases exceeded 5,000: both during the initial outbreak in Wuhan, central China. Wuhan was the city where Covid-19 was first reported. The country reported a one-time surge of more than 15,000 cases on February 12, 2020, according to a report by Bloomberg, after health authorities included cases previously unable to be diagnosed amid a shortage of test kits. This was followed by 5,090 cases the next day.

Surge driven by ‘stealth Omicron’

A fast-spreading variant known as “stealth Omicron” is reportedly causing this unprecedented surge in daily Covid cases in China. The ‘stealth Omicron’ – or the BA.2 sub-variant, is 1.5 times more transmissible than the original Omicron strain, studies suggest.

More lockdowns kick in

Lockdowns in China are spreading with the city of Langfang, located just 55 kilometres from Beijing, joining Shenzhen and Shanghai in imposing restrictions to stem a recent surge in Covid-19 infections. Several provinces have halted their public transport networks halted as million residents were ordered to limit their movements.

China relying on zero-tolerance strategy

Mainland China has seen relatively few infections since the initial Wuhan outbreak as the government has held fast to its zero-tolerance strategy, which is focused on stopping transmission of the coronavirus by relying on strict lockdowns and mandatory quarantines for anyone who has come into contact with a positive case.

Business supply chain faces blow

Lockdowns aimed at stemming the spread of coronavirus cases in China are disrupting the operations of a raft of businesses, with more than 40 million people restricted from leaving their homes. The biggest maker of Apple Inc. iPhones is halting production at its Shenzhen sites while output has been disrupted at plants making cars for Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG, news agency Bloomberg reported.