Sharjah24 - Reuters: Multiple Chinese cities are adopting fresh COVID-19 curbs, from business halts to lockdowns, to rein in new infections, with the commercial hub of Shanghai bracing for another mass testing campaign after detecting the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
As China sticks to its "dynamic zero-COVID" policy of promptly stamping out all outbreaks, the strict curbs by local governments come despite low caseloads, at a time when much of the world co-exists with the virus.
The central government has said curbs must be as targeted as possible to reduce damage to the world's No. 2 economy, after this year's major disruptions clogged global supply chains and hit international trade.
The highly-transmissible BA.5, which is driving outbreaks in many countries outside China, has shown signs of greater ability to escape vaccine-triggered antibody reactions than some other Omicron subvariants, health officials have said.
The discovery of one such infection in Shanghai raises the stakes of quickly limiting a nascent outbreak to avert more disruptive measures similar to the lockdown in April and May that roiled the global economy and markets.
For an optimal experience, please
