Queues form at clinics as China wrestles with COVID-19 surge

People queued outside fever clinics at China’s hospitals for COVID-19 checks on Monday amid a surge in cases after authorities eased strict lockdown measures.

Three years into the pandemic, China is moving to align with a world that has largely opened up to live with COVID-19, making a major policy change last Wednesday after unprecedented protests, Channel News Asia reported.

It has dropped testing prior to many activities, limited quarantine and was on Monday preparing to deactivate a mobile app used to track the travel histories of a population of 1.4 billion people.

However, authorities continue to urge mask-wearing and vaccinations, particularly for the elderly.

But with little exposure to a disease kept largely in check until now, China is ill-prepared, analysts say, for a wave in infections that could heap pressure on its fragile health system and drive businesses to a halt, Channel News Asia reported.

Associated Press reported that the easing of measures means a sharp drop in testing, but cases still appear to be rising rapidly. China reported 8,500 new infections on Monday, bringing the nation’s total to 365,312 — more than double the level on Oct. 1. It has recorded 5,235 deaths — compared to 1.1 million in the United States.

China’s government-supplied figures have not been independently verified and questions have been raised about whether the ruling Communist Party has sought to minimize numbers of cases and deaths.