China is experiencing its worst COVID-19 resurgence since the end of the Wuhan outbreak in 2020, as it spills over to most of the country.
On March 10, China reported 837 domestic infections throughout March 9, a record high for a single day in two years, including confirmed and asymptomatic cases. Reports of the new Omicron-variant surge come from more than 20 provinces and four municipalities under direct control of the central government, including Beijing. China’s new daily domestic infections have exceeded 500 for the fourth day in a row.
The Epoch Times cannot independently verify the official figures due to China’s lack of transparency in pandemic disclosure.
Shanghai Outbreak
The recent outbreak in Shanghai hit 11 of its total 16 districts, including the districts of Pudong and Minhang that have huge populations, as of March 8.Hospitalized and confirmed new cases keep setting record highs in the Chinese financial hub, according to Wu Jinglei, director of the city’s health commission, at a press conference.
“Sixty-six residential communities are sealed off in our district of Minhang,” a Shanghai local surnamed Gao told The Epoch Times. “All affected communities are going to undergo nucleic acid testing and screening.”
She reported that domestic cases couldn’t be traced and that residents contracted COVID without knowing the source. Some tested positive many days after having a nuclear acid test. Currently, residents in her district are required to stay at home, Gao said.
Jilin Province
In northeastern China’s Jilin Province, domestic cases surged dramatically. Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University is the worst-affected area amid cluster outbreaks. For days, students and their parents have posted desperate messages on social media, criticizing local authorities for covering up the situation.“The outbreak first appeared in the No. 9 dorm building,” a mother using the pseudonym Mai Yinghua whose son is in the school told The Epoch Times on March 10. “The third and fourth floors are full of positive cases, totaling at least 200 or 300. The [authorities] can’t cover it up any more.”
“None of my phone calls to the school authorities went through,” she said. “No information [has been] disclosed at all. Parents received no message from the school.”
She said she tried to seek help by repeatedly calling the mayor’s hotline and the local health commission on March 9. Most of the time, however, she couldn’t get through. When she at last succeeded, the person who answered told her they would register her call and hung up.
An employee at the school surnamed Zhu told The Epoch Times that the current local situation was definitely serious and they were back in lockdown.
He said media outlets are hesitant to report the outbreak, worrying that fear might spread quickly among the thousands of parents who have children attending the school.
He said coverage of the outbreak would undermine the reputation of their school and make it look incompetent. Meanwhile, the city’s government would be “down on its luck,” the interviewee said.
One of the city’s three mobile hospitals has been put into use while the other two will open within two days, according to state media. They can accommodate 1,186 patients in total.
The Epoch Times couldn’t reach the school’s publicity department and headquarters for comment despite repeated attempts.
