China reports 1,656 new local COVID-19 cases

Beijing [China], March 20 : China on Saturday reported 1,656 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said Sunday.
Of the new local infections, 1,191 were reported in the province of Jilin, 158 in Fujian, 51 in Shandong, 51 in Guangdong, and 39 in Liaoning respectively, Xinhua reported.
The rest of the cases were reported in 15 other provincial-level regions, including Gansu and Tianjin, as per Xinhua.
A total of 81 imported COVID-19 cases were reported Saturday, said the commission's report.
Meanwhile, China's zero-COVID policy is pushing cash-strapped local governments to the brink amid rising health care costs and efforts to control debt.
Analysts said that the local governments in China are facing a growing financial burden to meet Beijing's hardline zero-COVID strategy, according to a think tank, Policy Research Group (POREG).
China is battling its biggest virus surge in two years and numerous cities have imposed travel bans and lockdowns, including tech hub Shenzhen, which have shaken economic stability and global supply chains.
"The current situation across the country is indeed severe, we can see the pressure on medical care and finances from the existing model. Globally, pandemic control policies are being adjusted, and the possibility of adjustment in China is also increasing," Tianfeng Securities, a China-based investment bank, said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Shanghai, China's international financial hub and logistics centre is fighting its worst COVID-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic, said POREG.