Covid-19: China reports most cases since the end of January

Beijing - China has taken a zero-tolerance approach to Covid infections.

China reported 76 new Covid-19 cases on July 25, the highest daily total since January amid a surge of local infections in the eastern city of Nanjing, which started a second round of mass testing and banned taxis from leaving to curb the outbreak.

China has taken a zero-tolerance approach to Covid infections, quickly testing swathes of its population and tracing the contacts of any positive cases to prevent the spread of the virus.

Local infections accounted for 40 of the new cases, compared with only five a day earlier, the National Health Commission said in a statement on Monday.

Thirty-nine of the local cases were reported in the eastern province of Jiangsu, where Nanjing is the capital, and one in the northeastern province of Liaoning, it said.

Of the 39 cases, 38 were detected in Nanjing, and one in Suqian city, the provincial government said on its website.

As of the end of July 25, Nanjing had reported a total of 75 local cases since its latest outbreak emerged last week, a health official said in a news briefing on Monday.

Taxis and cars on ride-hailing platforms should not leave the city, and eight long-distance shuttle bus stations will be suspended from July 27, Nanjing authorities said on Monday on social media.