Beijing sees more Covid-19 closures

A woman’s swab sample is taken in Beijing on Friday. Pic/AFP

China's capital Beijing closed more businesses and residential compounds on Friday, with authorities ramping up contact tracing to contain a COVID-19 outbreak, while resentment at the month-long lockdown in Shanghai grew. In the finance hub, fenced-in people have been protesting against the lockdown and difficulties in obtaining provisions by banging on pots and pans in the evenings, residents said.

A video on social media, showed a woman warning people via a loud-hailer not to do so, saying such gestures were being encouraged by "outsiders." The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In Beijing, authorities were in a race against time to detect COVID cases and isolate those who have been around them. A sign placed outside a residential complex read, "Entry only. No exit." At a press conference on Friday, health officials did not respond to whether Beijing will go under lockdown or what circumstances might prompt such measures.

S. Africa blames new variant

South Africa is seeing a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases driven by yet another subvariant, health experts say. Cases had been dropping in the country since February. But a new omicron subvariant that scientists call BA.4 began pushing up cases last week and they have risen rapidly since, said Salim Abdool Karim, former government advisor on its COVID-19 response.

6,33,439 No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours
50,95,31,232 Total no. of cases worldwide
62,30,357 Total no. of deaths worldwide

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