According to the National Health Commission, China has recorded the highest number of cases a day higher in more than five months, with three cities closed to try to prevent another wave of infections in the world’s second-largest economy.
Most of the new patients registered in Tuesday’s figures were near the capital, Beijing, but a northeastern province of China also saw an increase in new cases, according to official data released on Wednesday.
The National Health Commission reported in a statement that 115 new confirmed cases were reported on the peninsula on January 12, compared to 55 a day earlier. This was also the largest daily increase since July 30th. A high number of cases were also registered on Sunday, with 103 new cases.
The commission said 107 of the new cases were local infections. Hebei, the province surrounding Beijing, accounted for 90 of the cases, while northeastern Heilongjiang province reported 16 new cases.
Hebei has closed three cities – Shijiazhuang, Xingtai and Langfang – as part of efforts to prevent the virus from spreading further, while Beijing city authorities have stepped up detection and prevention measures to prevent the development of a virus. another cluster.
The number of new daily asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, rose from 81 to 38.
The total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in mainland China now stands at 87,706, while the number of deaths remained unchanged at 4,634.
The number of new cases reported in recent days remains a fraction of what China saw at the height of the outbreak in early 2020. The increase in the case occurs when a team assembled by the World Health Organization to investigate the origins of the virus is preparing to reach Wuhan, the city at the heart of the global outbreak.
China’s foreign ministry confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the team would fly directly to Wuhan. Spokesman Zhao Lijian did not answer questions about whether the team would quarantine and gave no further details.
The WHO delegation tasked with investigating the origins of the virus is expected to arrive in China on Thursday, after nearly a year of negotiations. They had hoped to travel to Wuhan and talk to scientists on the ground, but Chinese authorities have been reluctant to get details and nothing had been confirmed.
Members of the WHO team began leaving their home countries early last week, only to discover that Chinese officials had not completed the necessary permits. WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “very disappointed”, but Chinese authorities said the two sides were still in talks.
The research mission is a priority for WHO and has strong international support, although observers have urged people to manage expectations about the team reaching the conclusions of the trip and researchers have said that the mission is not to share the blame.
“It’s about reducing the risk. And the media can help by avoiding pointing fingers in the Trump style. Our job is not political, ”said Fabian Leendertz, a professor of epidemiology of highly pathogenic microorganisms in the German public health agency, and a member of the team.