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As China is inching towards normalcy by easing the restrictions in the country, experts fear a resurgence of the coronavirus in China where the virus first emerged.
According to a Reuters report, the risk from overseas infections appears to be on the rise, prompting tougher screening and quarantine measures in major cities of mainland China.
On Monday, China reported 78 new cases of the coronavirus, out of which, 74 were imported infections, up from 39 imported cases reported on Sunday. Only four new cases were due to the local transmissions.
The Hubei Health Commission announced that it would lift curbs on outgoing travellers from March 25, provided they had a health clearance code. Wuhan, where the first case of the virus was reported and which has been in total lockdown since January 23, will see its travel restrictions lifted on April 8.
While China seems to be successful in containing the virus now, the risk of the second wave lingers over the most populated country in the world.
New wave of infections
China has decided to lift restrictions to help its battered economy, that has suffered due to the prolonged shutdown. Now, the experts worry that this may lead to the second wave of infections.
A private survey on Tuesday mentioned in the Reuters report suggested that a 10-11 per cent contraction in the first-quarter gross domestic product in the world’s second-largest economy “is not unreasonable”.
The official China Daily in an editorial on Tuesday warned that maintaining stringent restrictions on people’s movements would “now do more harm than good.”
Health tracking code for Wuhan
The citizens of Wuhan will leave with a health tracking code, a QR code, which will have an individual’s health status linked to it, Reuters reported.
In other parts of the country, authorities have continued to maintain strict restrictions and have started diverting international flights from Beijing to other Chinese cities, as the national capital reported the highest number of imported cases.
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