China imposes restrictions as Delta variant reaches nearly half the country

China imposed new travel and movement restrictions amid a Delta-driven outbreak that has grown to more than 500 symptomatic cases scattered across half the country.

This comes as the government stuck to its aggressive containment playbook rather than rely on the high vaccination level of 61 per cent.

Public transport and taxi services were curtailed in 144 of the worst-hit areas nationwide, while officials curbed train service and subway usage in Beijing, where three new cases were reported on Wednesday (Aug 4).

Officials reported on Thursday 94 new local infections, including 32 asymptomatic infections, adding to the country’s broadest Covid-19 threat since the pathogen first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019.

Though 61 per cent of the population has been vaccinated – one of the highest rates in the world among big countries – China has stuck to its tried-and-tested regime of mass testing and targeted lockdowns that has crushed more than 30 previous flareups, with no differentiation for inoculated people.

Agencies