China reports 2,388 new local COVID-19 cases
Mar 18, 2022
Beijing [China], March 18 : China mainland on Thursday reported 2,388 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, comparatively higher than Wednesday's 1,226 cases.
Of these new local infections, Jilin province lodged 1,834 cases, Fujian Province reported 113 cases, and the southern province of Guangdong reported 74 cases, Xinhua reported citing the Chinese National Health Commission.
China's other provincial-level also witnessed new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections where the rest of the cases were reported, including Shanghai and Liaoning.
China also recorded a total of 73 imported COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, according to Xinhua.
Earlier, on Wednesday, no COVID-19 deaths were reported.
Two days back, China reported two times more new COVID-19 cases from Monday as the country faces, by far, the biggest outbreak since the pandemic began.
Amid a rapid resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Shanghai-based renowned infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong remarked that Beijing should take the period as an opportunity to lay out anti-epidemic strategies that are complete and sustainable.
He made these remarks in a post on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo on Monday. He said that it is "the most difficult period" for China since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Zhang noted that it is "still not time for China to lie flat".
"We should have clearer methods for the future rather than debating over zero-COVID or co-existence," he was quoted as saying by the Chinese state media tabloid Global Times.
The state media reported that Chinese observers warned local governments to avoid taking extreme measures such as city lockdowns, as they would harm the local economy.
