China’s top leader has declared that the country has “overcome” the impact of the coronavirus, even as sporadic lockdowns continue in various areas and officials order greater scrutiny of imported frozen food and children’s clothes — both extremely unlikely sources of contagion. The stringent, if sometimes impractical, restrictions stem from China’s struggle to maintain its “zero Covid” strategy. By contrast, the Chinese Communist Party has staked a big share of credibility on its ability to stamp out the disease entirely. Government officials have defended their approach, saying that it is “low cost” and has allowed the country to recover from the pandemic faster than others. Officials have reported 1,280 in the current outbreak that began in mid-October.

Source: International New York Times November 12, 2021 15:22 UTC