Outbreak Shatters China's Boast About Beating COVID

China is struggling with by far its worst COVID-19 surge since the initial outbreak in 2020, recording more than 1,500 cases per day across multiple cities.

Photo Insert: The Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine was widely available in Hong Kong, but people in mainland China have only been vaccinated with the less-effective Chinese-made vaccine.

The new outbreak is driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant, and many cases are asymptomatic and tricky to detect. Even if this doesn’t become a full-blown epidemic, it is already straining the system, James Palmer reported for Foreign Policy.

Authorities have already put Shenzhen, the giant manufacturing hub near Hong Kong, into full lockdown, along with Jilin province. In Shanghai, schools and businesses have already closed and Beijing and Tianjin compounds have shut down.

With more than 50 million people already locked down across China, that list will continue to grow in the coming weeks, along with case numbers. The lockdowns will likely have a grievous effect on supply chains. Shanghai is China’s largest port, and Shenzhen is its main manufacturing hub for exported goods.

The Chinese public has reacted to the outbreak with both shock and complaints, similar to the Xian lockdown earlier this year. The mood contrasts with that of early 2020, when there was a sense of solidarity amid considerable fear. Chinese scientists have hinted at finding a way out, but a path away from the zero-COVID-19 policy doesn’t seem to be there yet.

China’s nightmare scenario is currently happening in Hong Kong, where after two years of pursuing a goal of no COVID-19 cases, omicron has spread like wildfire in the last three weeks, resulting in the world’s highest death rate per capita.

China doesn’t have a politicized anti-vaccination movement like the US. But while the overall vaccination rate is about 86 percent, it is much lower among the elderly, with only about 50 percent of those over 80 years old vaccinated.

Although the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine was widely available in Hong Kong, people in mainland China have only been vaccinated with Chinese-made vaccines, which are less effective than the mRNA vaccines.

China has the funds to acquire mRNA vaccines, but it has spent the last year sowing disinformation about Western vaccines. Distributing them now could be politically embarrassing or boost public distrust. There is a campaign to develop a domestic mRNA vaccine, but it is still a long way off.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic