China’s capital and financial hub both recorded zero new locally-transmitted Covid infections for Monday. Nationwide, China reported just 22 cases, according to the National Health Commission.
“It’s not surprising that China has managed to return to so-called zero, after all the huge effort it’s made,” said Huang Yanzhong, a senior fellow for global health at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. “But that doesn’t mean it can claim a thorough and durable victory because it didn’t eradicate the virus,” he said. “Unless they thoroughly fence off Beijing and Shanghai, the virus could sneak in anytime.”
“From the government perspective, authorities think the costs are worth it as they believe they have avoided the most dangerous situation,” said Huang, from the Council on Foreign Relations. “And while the government claims the social and economic costs are still affordable, there are far larger indirect costs that haven’t been taken into account,” he said.
“We can’t foresee an end.”