China reported Thursday a record of nearly 30,000 daily coronavirus cases in the mainland, as the government continues to implement its stringent "zero-COVID" policy involving lockdowns in some areas.
New cases stood at 29,754 on Wednesday, according to the National Health Commission, the highest figure since it began releasing the number in the spring of 2020.
The previous high was recorded in mid-April, when Shanghai, the country's financial and commercial hub, was locked down. Many cases were reported in Guangdong Province, Chongqing, Beijing and Sichuan Province.
Protests have broken out in Guangzhou city, southern China, and at an iPhone factory of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., known by its trade name Foxconn, in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, as heavy COVID restrictions continued, according to Hong Kong media and the manufacturing company.
Amid public frustration with the radical rules, the Chinese government said Monday it will refrain from implementing citywide lockdowns and instead blockade buildings where COVID cases are reported.
In Beijing, about 1,300 areas were locked down as of Wednesday evening. Commercial facilities, restaurants and schools have been shut with many people working from home and students taking online classes, and streets in central parts of the capital were empty.
Central areas of Guangdong Province and Chongqing similarly had many locked-down zones. Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan visited the southwestern city on Monday and stressed the importance of taking immediate action to contain the current COVID-19 outbreak without delay, state-run media reported.
