China's economy is showing increasing strain from the Covid tsunami

Even before the curbs were lifted, China's economy was struggling, with a slump in consumer spending deepening and industrial output growing the slowest since the spring lockdowns

China’s economy continued to slow in December as the massive Covid-19 outbreak spread across the country, with activity slumping as more people stay home to try and avoid getting sick or to recover. 

Bloomberg’s aggregate index of eight early indicators showed a contraction in activity in December from an already weak pace in November and the outlook is grim for the new year. 

Although there’s no reliable data on the extent of the spread of the virus or the number of sick and dead now, it had reached every province before the end of extensive and regular testing. The canceling