What’s new: Nowhere in China is officially at “high risk” of coronavirus transmission, after authorities lowered (link in Chinese) the risk level in two communities in the northeastern city of Harbin on Thursday.
The move indicates that the country has overcome a modest rebound in locally transmitted Covid-19 infections that began in December.
The background: China imposed local lockdowns and stepped-up coronavirus testing over the last two months in response to several new coronavirus outbreaks. The government also restricted travel over the Lunar New Year holiday, which ran for a week until Wednesday.
In January, new Covid-19 cases briefly topped 100 per day, a significant increase on the near-zero daily new infections the country had kept since last spring. The outbreaks were concentrated in the northern and northeastern provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, of which Harbin is the capital.
China recorded 11 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, all of which were imported infections, according to the National Health Commission. The country last logged a locally transmitted case on Monday (links in Chinese).
Contact reporter Matthew Walsh (matthewwalsh@caixin.com) and editor Marcus Ryder (marcusryder@caixin.com)
Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.
.jpg?w=600)
