COVID-19: China records highest daily cases in two years

In its highest daily figure since the Wuhan outbreak, China on Saturday 1,524 coronavirus cases. As cases surge, China will be introducing rapid antigen tests for the first time, states the Health Ministry. Several Chinese cities have been recording a surge in cases.

A lockdown has been imposed in the northeastern Chinese city of nine million people Changchun as Covid cases continue to surge. 

As per the new rules, only one person will be allowed out every two days to buy "daily necessities."

The asymptomatic infections caused by the Omicron variant have driven Beijing's daily count to an all-time high since it contained the first national outbreak in early 2020. 

Also read | China builds new bridge to Hong Kong amid Covid surge

In Hong Kong, a temporary bridge has been built to help bring in material from the mainland for the Covid-19 makeshift hospital. Nearly 2,000 Chinese contractors from the China State Construction Engineering are in Hong Kong for this project. 

To battle the surge in cases, doctors and nurses from the mainland have also been allowed to work in the city.

"Infections in vaccinated individuals are more likely to be asymptomatic than infections in unvaccinated individuals, and vaccine coverage is now very high in China," explains Ben Cowling, an epidemiology professor at the University of Hong Kong.

(With inputs from agencies)