China’s "Zero COVID" strategy is facing its toughest test yet. After outbreaks in two-thirds of China’s provinces, the central government has ordered a lockdown of regions home to millions of people according to the New York Times. Meanwhile, Omicron continues to drive up case numbers in the largest wave China has seen since the start of the pandemic.
For almost a week now, daily new COVID-19 numbers in China have been above 1,000 cases, according to the country’s National Health Commission. And on Saturday, that number exceeded 3,000—the first time China surpassed that level in one day since the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in 2020.
“Because of the large number of cases in a short period of time, it is inevitable that there will be some panic all over the country,” Dr. Zhang Wenhong, a Shanghai-based infectious disease expert who is popularly referred to as “China’s Anthony Fauci,” said on social media as the Times reported.
Restrictions have been imposed on major cities. In Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, buses and subways will pause, non-essential businesses will close, and a planned three rounds of mass PCR testing have begun. In Shanghai, schools, businesses, malls, and restaurants will close temporarily. And in Changchun , a northern industrial hub in the Jilin province, which has reported nearly half of all the new infections in China since March 1, residents must stay home—only one family member is allowed to go out every other day to buy food and other essentials.
As lives are disrupted, and hospitals overwhelmed, broader concerns are also mounting about the impact of shutdowns on global supply chains. Toyota on Monday halted operations at its plant in Changchun, and major electronics manufacturer Foxconn suspended the production of Apple iPhones in its Shenzhen factories. Indeed, the week-long lockdown in Shenzhen could have rippling effects on global supply chains ; the city is a major tech production hub and home to some of the world’s largest ports.
The lock-downs—often announced suddenly with sweeping mandates—are testing some people’s patience with China’s zero-COVID strategy—and some experts’ belief in whether it’s sustainable in the long-term. But as NPR reported Wenhong writing on Monday: "If our country opens up quickly now, it will cause a large number of infections in people in a short period of time. … No matter how low the death rate is, it will still cause a run on medical resources and a short term shock to social life, causing irreparable harm to families and society."
As my colleague Chad de Guzman reported in January, the general success China has had with its pandemic restrictions over the past two years—including, crucially, the scale to which people follow the rules—means we probably shouldn't expect a sudden, dramatic policy pivot. More probable is a slower shift in thinking, which may already be underway, as Science reports; researchers are exploring what a cautious approach to living with the virus might look like.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
More than 457.9 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 12 a.m. E.T. today, and over 6 million people have died. On March 10, there were more than 1.1 million new cases and 3,478 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending, in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here's every country that has reported over 6 million cases:
The U.S. had recorded more than 79.5 million coronavirus cases as of 12 a.m. E.T. today. More than 967,000 people have died. On March 13, there were 5,736 new cases and 168 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of Mar. 14, 12 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Scientists have identified another new COVID-19 variant called ‘Deltacron’. As the name suggests, it’s a hybrid of the Delta and Omicron coronavirus variants. So far, only two cases of this hybrid have been identified in the U.S.; most documented instances have been in Europe. And experts say there isn’t that much to worry about: Deltacron has existed since January and so far hasn’t been shown to spread exponentially the way certain other variants have.
Public health measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Latin America and Southeast Asia helped prevent dengue virus infections. That’s according to a new study which found 72,000 fewer dengue cases around the world during the first year of the pandemic.
France announced today that it will be lifting most COVID-19 restrictions. Among those changes: people will no longer be required to wear face masks in most settings. Unvaccinated people will also be allowed back into places such as restaurants and sports arenas.
This news, however, comes amid a new surge in case numbers in Europe. In the U.K., Ireland, and the Netherlands, this rise in infections has coincided with an increase in hospitalization numbers. And as one expert told USA Today, while it’s hard to predict, there’s always the chance the U.S. could also experience a subsequent wave of cases.
Meanwhile, Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla told CBS on Sunday that people will likely need a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to help fend off another wave of cases. Some immunocompromised people can already get a fourth booster, but it’s unclear whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will allow a fourth round of booster shots for healthy individuals. Both Pfizer and Moderna are also trying to develop a longer-lasting vaccine.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com. If you have specific questions you'd like us to answer, please send them to covidquestions@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Kyla Mandel and edited by Elijah Wolfson.
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