Some locations in Asia affected later by the Omicron variant are reporting more daily record highs, even in places like Hong Kong that have taken a more aggressive "zero COVID" approach to battling the virus.Omicron challenges even strict measuresHong Kong today reported a record 614 cases, nearly all of them locally acquired, according to the Centre for Health Protection.
The surge in cases and shortages of imported food due to transport disruptions have led to panic buying at supermarkets, according to Reuters.Meanwhile, on China's mainland, the Guangxi province city of Baise, home to 3.6 million people, is on lockdown.
The city's outbreak started with one case in a returning traveler who tested positive on Feb 5, with mass testing turning up 98 more cases, according to the South China Morning Post.
The city is in southern China near the border with Vietnam.At the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, 24 more COVID-19 cases were reported in athletes and staff, raising the total to 387, according to China's Olympic committee.