Topline China on Monday reported more than 40,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic, raising questions about the effectiveness of the country’s stringent zero-Covid approach which has triggered unprecedented mass protests against the policy across multiple Chinese cities over the weekend. Demonstrators light candles during a vigil to mourn the victims of the Urumqi fire in Beijing, … [+] China.Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Key Facts China’s National Health Commission reported 40,347 new cases—both symptomatic and asymptomatic—on Monday, an all-time high for new cases reported on a single day for the country. The surge in cases comes despite China’s continued reliance on harsh lockdowns and repeated mass testing to counter emerging outbreaks, an approach that has triggered rare protests across the country. China’s narrow focus on lockdowns and mass testing also means that the uptake of vaccines and boosters among vulnerable groups like the elderly still remains very low. Only 65.7% of people over the age of 80 have been fully vaccinated in China, with only 40% of them receiving booster shots, the state-controlled newspaper China Daily reported. According to the Washington Post, the low vaccination rate among seniors in China stems from the country’s initial policy of limiting shots to people aged between 19 and 60…. Click below to read the full story from Forbes
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How China’s Zero-Covid Policy Failed To Prevent Record Infections And Triggered Rare Protests
