China Reports Record Daily COVID-19 Incidence for 4h Day in Row

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The number of new COVID-19 infections in China hit a new daily record of 39,791 for the fourth day in a row, the Chinese National Health Commission said on Sunday, adding that most cases were asymptomatic.

The country saw record 31,656 cases on Thursday, surpassed by 32,943 cases on Friday and 35,183 cases on Saturday. Prior to this spike, COVID-19 incidence in China peaked in mid-April when the daily increase in new infections exceeded 29,400.

A total of 36,082 new daily infections have been asymptomatic, while 3,709 patients showed coronavirus symptoms, the commission said.

The largest clusters of cases were detected in China's southern province of Guangdong, where a new quarantine facility for 80,000 patients is being set up, as well as in Beijing and the Chongqing municipality.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, China has adhered to a zero-COVID policy, which implies strict control measures and enforcement of lockdowns in districts and cities with even a relatively low incidence of the disease.

In total, 307,802 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in mainland China since the start of the pandemic, and 5,233 people died from the virus.

The epidemiological situation in China has been worsening in recent months due to numerous local outbreaks of COVID-19, prompting a number of cities to go into lockdowns and force people to undergo PCR testing daily.