A flurry of lockdowns and other strong measures in China are keeping millions of people at home and workplaces shuttered, amid the country's quickly rising Omicron surge that saw COVID-19 cases double over the last day.Elsewhere, a number of countries in Europe are eyeing rising cases again in the wake of eased restrictions, with some US experts warning of potential rises based on what they see in wastewater surveillance.Chinese lockdowns affect more than 90 millionChina reported 5,154 local cases today, 1,647 of them asymptomatic, up sharply from the 2,125 local cases, 788 of them asymptomatic, reported yesterday.
The majority of today's cases were from Jilin province in the northeast, especially Jilin City, the province's second largest city.Lockdowns, part of the country's "zero COVID" approach, are affecting a number of industrial and financial hubs and are expected to create supply chain problems—including transport slowdowns and shortages of technology components—on economies in and beyond China.On Twitter, Stephen McDonell, a China correspondent for the BBC, estimated that about 52.5 million people are under full lockdown in cities including Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Langfang, with more affected by a province-wide lockdown in Jilin.
He also added that quasi-lockdowns in Shanghai and Xian are affecting 39 million more residents.Meanwhile, Hong Kong's surge continues, with 27,765 new cases today, along with 228 more deaths.
The city, once praised for its strong battle against the disease, is now facing overwhelmed hospitals and overflowing mortuaries and facing criticism that it didn't do enough to vaccinate older people, according to NBC News.