Southern China's Metropolis Guangzhou Was Ordered To Stay At Home To Get Tested For The Virus

Everyone in a district of 1.8 million people in  southern China's metropolis  Guangzhou was ordered to stay at home to get tested for the virus on Saturday, and a major southwestern city  closed schools as a further surge in the infections have been reported.

A total of 11,773 infections have been reported across the country in the last 24 hours, including 10,351 people without symptoms. China's numbers are low, but last week's surge contradicts a "COVID zero" strategy aimed at isolating all infected. Quarantine for travelers arriving in China will be reduced from seven days to a minimum of five days  as part of controls changes  announced on Friday to reduce their costs and disruption.

But the ruling Communist Party said it will stick to "zero-COVID" even as other countries ease travel and other restrictions and try to shift to a long-term strategy of living with the virus. A total of 3,775 infections have been detected in Guangzhou, a city of 13 million, including 2,996  people who showed no symptoms, according to the National Health Commission.

That was up from a total of 3,030 on Friday, including 2,461 without symptoms. People in Guangzhou's Haizhu District were told in to go to the nearest testing station but otherwise stay at home, the district government announced on its social media account. One member of each household was allowed  to buy food.

Also on Saturday, health officials warned that the decision to change antivirus controls did not mean they would end. Under the changes, some foreign businessmen and sportsmen visiting China could move within a closed area without a quarantine period.

The rules about who is considered a contact of infected people need to be more focused to reduce the number of those affected. "This is not relaxation or 'lying on the floor,' but more precise and scientific prevention and treatment," said  NHC Deputy Director Lei Haichao. Lei said the goal is to "prevent the epidemic and minimize the impact on economic and social development".

Economic and public health experts say Beijing could start 'COVID zero' by mid-2023 but must vaccinate tens of millions of elderly  before controls on foreign visitors entering China end. A negative result of a once-daily virus test is required to enter supermarkets and other public buildings.

This allows authorities to detect infections in people without symptoms. Guangzhou, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Hong Kong, closed schools and bus and subway services in much of the city as the number of cases rose over the past week. Flights to the Chinese capital Beijing and other major cities have been cancelled.

In the southwest, the industrial city of Chongqing closed schools in its Beibei district, which has a population of 840,000. Residents were barred from leaving a number of apartment complexes in  Yubei District, but the city didn't say how many were affected. Public frustration and complaints that some people lack access to food or medicine have sparked protests and clashes with local officials in some areas. downtown Zhengzhou.

Last week, access to an industrial zone in Zhengzhou, home to the world's largest iPhone factory, was closed due to outbreaks. Apple Inc. warned that deliveries of its new iPhone 14 model would be delayed. - The world's largest economy forecasts consumer and business activity to weaken after growth rebounded to 3.9% year-on-year in the three months to September, from 2% in  the first half.2%.

Economists have lowered their forecast for China's annual economic growth to just 3%, which would be one of the lowest in decades. President Xi Jinping's government has refused to import foreign vaccines and has resisted calls to release more information on the source of the virus, which was first detected in downtown Wuhan in late 2019.