China has recorded its highest number of daily Covid cases since the pandemic began, despite stringent measures designed to eliminate the virus.
There are outbreaks with several major cities including the capital Beijing and southern trade hub Guangzhou.
On Wednesday, the country recorded 31,527 cases – higher than the about 28,000 peak recorded in April, when its largest city Shanghai was locked down.
It comes as strict lockdowns continue to spark episodes of unrest.
China’s zero-Covid policy has saved lives in the country of 1.4 billion people but also dealt a punishing blow to the economy and ordinary people’s lives.
However the rising wave of cases also comes weeks after the country slightly relaxed some of its Covid restrictions.
It cut quarantine for close contacts from seven days in a state facility to five days and three days at home, and stopped recording secondary contacts which allowed many more people to avoid having to quarantine.
Officials have also sought to avoid enforcing blanket lockdowns of the kind endured by Shanghai earlier this year.
