More than half a year after Covid-19 stopped spreading to mainland China, new groups of cases have appeared in and around the capital Beijing in recent weeks.
The number of new cases reported is not close to the levels observed in many countries outside China, including the United States. Hebei, the worst-hit province, has reported more than 800 new confirmed cases since January 1. But here’s a look at the provinces that have reported confirmed cases of coronavirus since Dec. 1, with darker shades representing areas with more cases:
The persistent spread of the virus, especially in Hebei province surrounding Beijing, has led authorities to block several regions and urge people across the country not to travel during the Lunar New Year festival. The holiday officially falls this year in mid-February.
“Given the rapid responses of local governments, effective testing and tracing systems, and the continued launch of vaccines, we believe the situation will eventually be brought under control,” Chinese chief economist Ting Lu of Nomura said in a statement January 18th. “However, the unusually cold weather and the New Year’s Eve (LNY) travel race could make the task of containing the virus more difficult.”
“The hospitality sector will slow, while the industrial sector could remain solid,” Lu said, adding that “markets may need to lower expectations for strong recharged consumer demand during the next LNY holidays in mid-month.” February”.
Hebei Province began revealing an increase in the number of coronavirus cases earlier this year, with the daily number exceeding 90 last week. The figures do not include the numerous asymptomatic cases found by mass testing.