China's Daily COVID-19 Cases Exceed 20,000, Setting New Record High

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] China's daily COVID-19 confirmed cases exceeded 20,000, breaking the record for the second consecutive day. With tens of millions of tourists traveling during the Qingming Festival holiday, the number of confirmed cases is expected to increase rapidly.

According to the National Health Commission of China on the 6th, the number of new COVID-19 infections in China recorded 20,472 cases the previous day, setting a new record high. The previous record was 16,412 cases recorded on the 4th. Since the 2nd, China had daily confirmed cases in the 10,000 range, but as the spread intensified in Shanghai, it surpassed 20,000 for the first time.

The number of new infections in Shanghai, the epicenter of the outbreak, reached 17,077. During the Qingming Festival holiday (3rd to 5th), the number of tourists in China reached 75.41 million, significantly increasing the floating population, raising concerns about further COVID-19 spread.

As the cumulative number of infected people in Shanghai exceeded 80,000, the Shanghai municipal government is struggling to prepare measures, including installing a temporary quarantine facility at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) that can accommodate 40,000 people. With more than 100,000 people requiring hospital admission or facility quarantine in Shanghai, nearby regions such as Zhejiang Province have been accepting infected individuals from Shanghai since the 4th.

Authorities decided to conduct a second round of mass testing targeting 25 million residents from the 6th to identify additional infections. Previously, Shanghai completed the first round of nucleic acid (PCR) testing for all residents on the 4th. Although rumors spread on social media that delivery workers' activities in Shanghai were restricted due to the extended city lockdown, these were confirmed to be false.

A Shanghai city official explained, "The number of daily delivery workers in Shanghai is estimated at 11,000," adding, "Related companies conduct nucleic acid tests once a day for delivery workers and comply with quarantine guidelines to perform their duties normally."

In Beijing, following 9 confirmed cases on the 4th and 5 additional cases on the 5th, quarantine measures for incoming mail and international cargo were strengthened. Visitors arriving in Beijing must undergo nucleic acid (PCR) testing within 72 hours and are prohibited from outside activities for one week.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.