COVID-19: China reports highest number of cases since February 2020

China on Sunday reported 13,287 new Covid cases for April 2, the highest since February 2020, with the majority in Shanghai and northeastern Jilin province. 

The national health authority on Sunday said the country reported 1,506 confirmed Covid cases for the previous day, which is less than the day earlier with 2,129 cases.

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However, the country has not yet classified asymptomatic cases as confirmed cases which increased from 7,869 cases to 11,781 cases on Saturday. Amongst the confirmed cases, 1,455 cases were locally transmitted with 956 cases from Jilin and 438 from Shanghai which has virtually locked the entire city.

During a press conference on Sunday, a senior official of the Shanghai health authority said that Shanghai will be carrying out a city-wide antigen testing on Sunday and mass nucleic acid testing on Monday.

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Shanghai has been striving to stop the spread of cases by imposing a two-stage lockdown, pressuring the manufacturers to halt the operations and causing serious congestion at the Shanghai port.

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The data showed that the congestion off Shanghai has been easing for oil tankers since March 31, but the number of bulkers queuing in outer Yangtze has increased to nearly 90, the highest level since October 2021. Many ports near Shanghai such as Ningbo are now busy as firms have diverted cargos to avoid prolonged logistic turnarounds.

(With inputs from agencies)