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- 4,610 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, of which 588 were symptomatic and 4,022 were asymptomatic
- Still, the annual Beijing marathon took place on Sunday morning under strict COVID-19 protocols
BEIJING: China on Sunday reported its highest number of new COVID-19 infections in six months, a day after health officials said they were sticking with strict coronavirus curbs, likely disappointing recent investor hopes for an easing.
China recorded 4,610 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, of which 588 were symptomatic and 4,022 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said, the most since May 6 and compared with 3,837 new cases a day earlier, of which 657 were symptomatic.
While case numbers are extremely low by global standards, China has stuck with a zero-COVID approach nearly three years into the pandemic that involves lockdowns, quarantines, frequent testing and a drastic decrease in inbound travel.
At a news conference on Saturday, health officials reiterated their commitment to the 鈥渄ynamic-clearing鈥� approach to COVID-19 cases as soon as they emerge.
China鈥檚 anti-COVID-19 measures are 鈥渃ompletely correct, as well as the most economical and effective,鈥� said disease control official Hu Xiang. 鈥淲e should adhere to the principle of putting people and lives first, and the broader strategy of preventing imports from outside and internal rebounds.鈥�
Chinese stocks soared last week on rumors of a possible easing of the COVID-19 curbs, and media reports that some tweaks to policy could be coming soon.
However, many analysts have said they do not expect significant easing to begin until after China鈥檚 annual parliamentary session in March.
Goldman Sachs analysts said Saturday鈥檚 announcement showed 鈥渢he government still needs to keep its zero-COVID-19 policy until all preparations are done. This may take a few months, in our view,鈥� they wrote, saying their 鈥渂aseline鈥� expectation was for a reopening in the April-June quarter.
The southern city of Guangzhou continued to report rising infections, with 66 new locally transmitted symptomatic and 1,259 asymptomatic cases, compared with 111 symptomatic and 635 asymptomatic cases a day before, authorities in the city of nearly 19 million people said.
China鈥檚 capital Beijing reported 43 symptomatic and six asymptomatic cases, compared with 37 symptomatic and five asymptomatic cases the previous day.
Still, the annual Beijing marathon took place on Sunday morning under strict COVID-19 protocols, after being canceled the previous two years.
Some 26,000 participants registered for the event that began under smoggy skies in central Beijing鈥檚 Tiananmen Square. Runners were required to take PCR tests for the three days leading up to the race and not to leave Beijing for seven days.