China on Wednesdayreported its highest daily number of local coronavirus cases inmonths as mass testing campaigns uncovered a trail of Delta variant infections,prompting authorities to heavily restrict travel to major cities.
Authorities in Wuhan saidthey would test its entire population for Covid-19 after the central Chinesecity where the coronavirus emerged reported its first local infections in morethan a year.
The city of 11million is "swiftly launching comprehensive nucleic acid testing of allresidents", senior Wuhan official Li Tao said at a press conference.
China has confinedthe residents of entire cities to their homes, cut domestic transport links androlled out mass testing in recent days as it battles its largest coronavirusoutbreak in months.
Pang Xinghuo, thedeputy director of Beijing’s Center for Disease Prevention and Control said, “Clusteroutbreaks have occurred one after another around the country and multiple caseshave been reported in Beijing, leading to a critical phase in our epidemicresponse. We can’t let loose a single strand of risk and hidden danger.”
Tokyo hospitals arealready feeling the crunch, Hironori Sagara, director of Showa UniversityHospital, stated. "There are those being rejected repeatedly foradmission," he said in an interview. "In the midst of excitement overthe Olympics, the situation for medical personnel is very severe."
Chief cabinet secretary, Katsunobu Kato, told reporters fewer elderly people,most of whom are already vaccinated, are getting infected.
"On the other hand, infections of younger people are increasing and peoplein their 40s and 50s with severe symptoms are rising," he said. "Withpeople also being admitted to hospital with heat stroke, some people are notable to immediately get admitted and are recovering at home."
According to healthministry guidelines, seriously ill patients are defined as those admitted tointensive care units (ICUs) or needing artificial respirators.
China had previouslyboasted of its success in bringing domestic cases down to virtually zero afterthe coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, allowing the economy to rebound.
But the latestoutbreak is threatening that success with more than 400 domestic cases reportedsince mid-July.