China lifts alert for Delta variant: COVID-19 cases peak in seven months

The number of coronavirus cases hit a record seven months in China on Tuesday, While the Delta variant tests the efforts of the Xi Jinping’s regime in controlling the outbreak with partial lockdowns, travel restrictions and massive testing in different parts of the country.

The state press described the current epidemic as the most serious since the appearance of the virus in late 2019. in the city of Wuhan, in the center of the country.

The authorities then succeeded in reducing the number of contaminations to almost zero, which allowed the resumption of economic activity, although with some restrictions

But now cases are on the rise again.

This Tuesday, Chinese health authorities recorded 143 new coronavirus infections, of which 108 were broadcast locally.

Among the local cases reported today, 50 have been detected in the eastern province of Jiangsu, the main origin of the epidemic, attributed to the cleaning without adequate protection of an Air China plane from Russia in which an infected person was traveling.

In this province, the situation in the city of Yangzhou, What cumulates 26 serious cases and 6 critical cases, mostly elderly patients who have been infected in the often crowded rooms of the popular Chinese board game of ‘mahjong‘, collects the local press.

In Yangzhou, dozens of other cases have occurred at a testing center. Authorities have issued alerts to avoid mismanagement of covid-19 tests that could facilitate the spread of the virus.

Therefore, the provincial authorities have sent more than 4,000 health workers to this city, which has accumulated around 350 cases over the past three weeks, to treat the sick and help with tasks to contain the virus.

Another epidemic occurred between Nanjing Airport Cleaning Employees, which then spread to other parts of the country.

For the time being, the outbreaks are not dead, but there are 54 severe cases -six more than the day before- among the 1,702 infected still active throughout the country.

Tuesday’s numbers are the highest since January, when the country recorded 144 new cases, including 126 due to domestic contamination.

Authorities have responded to outbreaks with several series of massive tests and partial confinements in areas considered to be at risk, increasing the number of patients under observation from 8,577 registered on July 22 to 49,980 registered in the latter part of today.

While, Beijing racks up three infection-free days after confirming eight local cases last week, which does not prevent restrictions on traveling to the Chinese capital from areas where infections have been detected from being active.

Likewise, the authorities of the capital they recommend to their inhabitants not to leave the city “if it is not strictly necessary” and that they follow preventive measures “to the letter”, including the display of a green code in mobile phone health applications to be able to enter public spaces or use taxis.

Confidence of the authorities

However the authorities gave a message of confidence and they consider new epidemics to be controllable.

“We have succeeded in containing the epidemic in Guangzhu, and the one in Nanjing is gradually being brought under control.” said the official agency Xinhua, citing infectious disease specialist Zhang Wenhong.

According to Chinese experts, outbreaks will be “under control” around 23 August if current prevention measures are maintained against covid.

The experts also insist on vaccinationAlthough, according to epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan, the delta variant means that China must inoculate 83.3% of its population of 1.411 million people to gain herd immunity.

Until now, the country administered 1,795 million doses of its vaccines, according to the National Health Commission, which does not publish data on the number of people who have received the full immunization schedule.

(With information from EFE and AFP)

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