China reports highest daily COVID cases in 2 years

China reported 1,524 coronavirus cases on Saturday, its highest daily figure since the Wuhan outbreak in 2020.  

The northeastern city of Changchun has been placed under lockdown, and all of its nine million residents will be tested. Only one person per household will be allowed to go outside every other day for shopping for their daily needs.  

China has adopted a zero-COVID policy with strict measures and mass testing to contain the outbreak. Experts worry that this policy may not be helpful in coping with the highly infectious omicron variant.  

Here are the latest major developments on coronavirus from around the world:

Asia 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported a spike in infections in South Korea, with a new record daily high of 383,665. The country is seeing high number of omicron infections.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the city's COVID-19 outbreak wasn't yet past its peak, despite the recent fall in daily case numbers. 

"At this moment, we could not comfortably say that we have passed the peak,” she said.  

The city-state reported 27,647 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, according to health authorities.

Food supplies in the country have largely been restored to normal levels with supply from mainland China, after panic-buying in the past few weeks had almost emptied shelves in supermarkets.  

Hong Kong has adopted a "dynamic zero" measure, with strict restrictions to counter the spread of the virus. 

Oceania 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country wants to move towards living with COVID-19, similar to the flu. The decision will be taken after consulting health experts. 

"Ourairports are open again, international arrivals can come, there are waivers now on quarantine for people returning, so we are pretty much in Phase D." Phase D refers to living with the virus like it were the flu. 

The isolation rule was "starving businesses of staff," said Morrison.  

Europe 

The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases reported 237,086 new coronavirus infections in Germany in the past 24 hours. The rate of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week rose to 1496. 

Germany's daily record of infection surpassed more than 250,000 infectionsfor the first time earlier in the week. The country's current set of  COVID rules are due to expire on March 19, when a new set of rules go into effect.

tg/aw (Reuters, AP, AFP)