(Adds context, comments from economists)
SHANGHAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) – China’s daily count of new coronavirus cases has doubled since September, hardening the resolve of authorities to eliminate outbreaks as quickly as they appear and dimming hopes for an easing in their zero-COVID stance.
China reported 1,624 new COVID-19 infections for Oct. 12, of which 372 were symptomatic and 1,252 asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
That compares with 1,890 new cases a day earlier – 417 symptomatic and 1,473 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.
The case-loads were double those in the second half of September, when new cases trended around 900 a day.
China has been fighting a COVID rebound after the National Day “Golden Week” holiday earlier this month and just ahead of a key Party congress where Xi Jinping is expected to extend his leadership.
While the infection tally is small by global standards, China has insisted that its policies save lives.
People’s Daily, the party’s official newspaper, warned in commentaries for three straight days this week against any relaxation in China’s policy of stamping out COVID flare-ups, despite the toll on the already limping economy and a stressed-out population.
“There is no prospect of China lifting its zero-COVID policy in the near future and it probably won’t happen before the end of 2023,” Capital Economics wrote in a note on Thursday.
“Another year of zero-COVID equals another year of depressed consumer activity and a high risk of recurrent large-scale lockdowns.”
As of Oct. 12, mainland China had confirmed 254,855 cases with symptoms.
China’s capital Beijing reported 12 local symptomatic cases and six asymptomatic cases, compared with 10 local symptomatic cases and one asymptomatic case the previous day, local government data showed.
Financial hub Shanghai reported 44 local asymptomatic cases and three symptomatic cases, while Shenzhen reported 26 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections.
There were no new deaths, same as a day earlier, keeping the nation’s fatalities at 5,226. (Reporting by Shanghai and Beijing newsrooms; Writing by Bernard Orr and Ryan Woo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Lincoln Feast)
