There will be a new version of Nov 28, 2022, 10:07amEST.
More than 40,000 new Covid-19 cases were reported by China on Monday, raising questions about the effectiveness of the country's stringent zero- Covid approach which has triggered unprecedented mass protests in multiple Chinese cities over the weekend.
A group of people light candles during a protest to remember the victims of the Urumqi fire.
On Monday, China's National Health Commission reported a new high for new cases in a single day.
Despite China's continued reliance on harsh lockdowns and mass testing, the country has seen a surge in cases.
China has a narrow focus on lockdowns and mass testing that makes it hard for vulnerable groups like the elderly to get vaccinations.
The state-controlled newspaper China Daily reported that only a small percentage of people over the age of 80 have been fully vaccined.
According to the Washington Post, the low vaccination rate among seniors in China is due to the country's initial policy of limiting shots to people under the age of 60.
Several health officials warned last week that China's underprepared health system could be overwhelmed by the continued surge in cases.
China has problems because it doesn't have an effective vaccine and it doesn't approve more effective foreign-made vaccines, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. China's population has been inoculated with vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer's mRNA vaccines were not approved by China because they could serve as effective booster doses and offer stronger protection.
The Omicron variant can be very harmful to the effectiveness of vaccines. The South China Morning Post reported that experts are calling for a shift in approach to focus more on people with severe symptoms. It would require a shift in approach by officials in Beijing who have so far focused on controlling the spread of the virus, which may be harder to pull off with the more infectious variant.
Several cities across China are witnessing unprecedented citizen-led protests against the government's anti-pandemic measures after a fire in a high-rise residential building killed 10 people. Anger has been caused by the use of barricades to seal off neighborhoods and buildings, which is still being used despite the incident. People's escape from the building or firefighters' ability to carry out rescues have been questioned by many. The zero-covid approach has been supported by the administration of the country's leader. The local spread of the virus inside China has caused economic challenges, food shortages and prevented people from accessing non- Covid related health care, despite the fact that harsh lockdowns have failed to effectively quash the local spread.
There has been no public reaction from the Chinese government officials. The protests are a major test for Xi, who secured an unprecedented third term in power last month, as many of the protesters are calling for him to step down. The response has been mixed, with authorities in Beijing easing some of the restrictions by removing the controversial barriers. Police have increased their presence in Beijing and the country's largest city, Shanghai, to prevent any new protests. According to a translation by the Associated Press, an editorial in the state-controlled People's Daily said that "facts have fully proved that each version of the prevention and control plan has withstood the test of practice."
China relaxes COVID rules after widespread protests.
Protests broke out in Beijing and other cities.
There has been a record number of cases as the virus increases.
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