China records 3.7 crore fresh Covid cases in a day; highest single-day rise globally
China Covid-19 outbreak: In China, nearly 3.7 crore people may have been infected with the coronavirus in a single day, making the country's outbreak by far the largest in the world.
During an internal meeting of China's National Health Commission, it was estimated that 248 million people, or nearly 18% of the population, contracted the virus in the first 20 days of December. And, if the estimate is correct, it will be higher than the previous daily record of approximately 4 million set in January 2022.
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The 3.7 crore daily cases estimated for December 20 indicate a significant increase over the official tally of only 3,049 infections reported in China on that day. It is also several times higher than the previous pandemic world record. According to Bloomberg data, global cases reached an all-time high of 4 million on January 19, 2022, during an initial wave of omicron infections following its discovery in South Africa.
The severity of infection suggested by official estimates highlights the challenge China faces after abruptly abandoning the Covid Zero regime that had largely kept the virus at bay for the previous three years.
Hospitals in major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have been overwhelmed by an unexpected surge in patients, while crematoriums are struggling to keep up with the onslaught of deaths.
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- PTC NEWS
