Covid cases in China highest in 20 months as 200 new infections recorded

China reported 200 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, with 162 domestic transmissions, the largest daily increase in almost 20 months, the Global Times reported.

Among the 162 domestic cases, 150 were reported in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province.

From December 9 to Monday, the total number of confirmed cases in Xi'an was 635, Zhang Bo, deputy director of Xi'an health commission, told a press conference on Monday.

Xi'an, home to 12 million people, started a new round of nucleic acid testing on Monday, and tightened its lockdown by requiring all of its residents to stay at home to guarantee the accuracy of the test results, according to the Monday press conference.

Xi'an has been in a citywide lockdown since December 23, but each family could send one person outside once every two days to purchase daily necessities, the report said.

The outbreak in Xi'an has spread to many cities across China, including Dongguan, Guangdong province and Beijing, where the 2022 Winter Olympics will begin on February 4.

Although this Covid-19 outbreak has increased the prevention pressure for China, health experts noted that the country will ensure a safe international sports event since it can draw on lessons learned from previous experience in quelling local outbreaks, the report said.

--IANS

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