China reports zero new Covid-19 cases for first time as pandemic finds new ‘epicenter’ in South America
Beijing has reported no new Covid-19 infections for the first time since the pandemic erupted last year, but as the virus dies out in its original epicenter, South America has quickly emerged as a major hotspot.
China’s National Health Commission said it confirmed zero new cases of the virus on Saturday – a first since the country began tallying infections in January – and reported only two suspected cases, one of them imported from abroad.
While the United States remains the top epicenter with more than 1.6 million infections, South America has quickly overtaken other regions for the number-two spot, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning of a dramatic spike in cases there.