China announced on Sunday its first death from Covid-19 since May, an 87-year-old man, in Beijing where the increase in the number of cases is gradually leading to the closure of establishments and businesses.
The Ministry of Health announced on Sunday more than 24,000 new local positive cases in 24 hours in the country – the vast majority of which are asymptomatic – a high number for China. The large manufacturing province of Guangdong (in the south of the country), where the metropolises of Canton and Shenzhen are located, is by far the most affected.
The capital Beijing, closely watched by the authorities and the media, reported 621 new cases. Residents are confined to their homes and others have been placed in quarantine in dedicated centers. The deceased man had contracted, in addition to Covid-19, a bacterial infection, according to the municipality. It is officially the first death since the end of May.
Major shopping malls in Beijing announced their closure on Sunday. Others, however, have simply reduced their opening hours or banned table service in their restaurants. In the district of Chaoyang, seat of the business district and embassies, the authorities have strongly advised companies to switch to teleworking. Many restaurants can no longer accommodate customers, but deliveries are still allowed. Parks, sports halls and gymnasiums have also closed.
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The number of cases is experiencing a significant upward trend ” and ” the extent of the spread (of the outbreak) has further expanded “, lamented Sunday Xu Hejian, spokesman for the municipality of Beijing, during a press conference. ” The epidemic prevention and control situation in the capital is serious (…) We must show determination and take effective measures “, he underlined without giving details.
The authorities are on a crest line and seem not to want to impose, for the moment, too strong restrictions in the face of a population overwhelmed by anti-Covid measures. The authorities reiterated their call to avoid movements “ non-imperative between the different Beijing districts. The metropolis of Guangzhou, which announced more than 8,000 new positive cases on Sunday, launched general screening in the central district of Haizhu, where about 1.8 million inhabitants live.
China announced on November 11 a relaxation of its policy health, with in particular the reduction of quarantines, in particular for international arrivals. A return to normal, however, remains a distant prospect, as confinements, quarantines and screenings continue to be imposed on a large scale.
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(With AFP)