China is locking down cities as Covid-19 cases resurge. Here’s what we know so far

More than two years after the first Covid-19 case was detected in China, the nation is seeing a resurgence in coronavirus cases. Mainland China reported over 1,500 new local Covid-19 infections Saturday. This is the largest number of case that has been detected since the initial nationwide outbreak at the start of 2020.
China’s 588 daily cases were far fewer than those of many other countries, but the growing number could complicate Beijing’s “dynamic-clearance” ambition to suppress contagion as quickly as possible.
Sticking to its “zero-tolerance” strategy, many cities in China have gone back to cancelling events which call for large groups. Mass testing of residents is once again being promoted and face-to-face classes are being cut in school.

Here’s what we know so far.
➡️ The northeastern province of Jilin, one of the hardest-hit regions, said it had dismissed the mayor of Jilin city and a drict head in the capital, Changchun. Changchun has ordered all but essential businesses to halt operations and banned its 9 million residents from leaving their residential compounds for non-essential reasons. Similar measures have been applied in urban areas of Jilin city.
➡️ In the financial hub of Shanghai, the Disneyland resort said it would reduce its guest capacity and from Sunday require visitors to present negative nucleic acid test results taken within 24 hours.
➡️ The venue for the Canton Fair, China’s oldest and biggest trade fair, has been temporarily closed as it was recently visited a suspected confirmed case, local authorities in Guangzhou said.

Meanwhile, China has granted approval to five Covid-19 antigen kits made local companies to be used for self-testing, state broadcaster CCTV said on Saturday, as it tweaks its testing regime that has been pressured Omicron. China’s National Medical Products Adminration published a notice on Friday saying Beijing Huaketai Biotechnology had been allowed to make changes to its Covid-19 antigen test kit’s device certificate.
It published a similar approval for four other companies, Nanjing Vazyme Biotech, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech , Beijing Jinwofu Bioengineering Technology and a BGI Genomics subsidiary, Shenzhen Huada Yinyuan Pharmaceutical Technology, on Saturday.
(With inputs from Reuters)