China is dismantling its zero-covid machine
Even as the virus appears to be spreading
According to the official data, the latest outbreak of covid-19 is waning in China. The number of new cases has fallen recently, to fewer than 30,000 a day, from a peak of more than 40,000 in November. But fewer people are being tested. Anecdotal evidence suggests that, actually, more Chinese are catching the disease, raising fears of a big wave.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Dismantling the machine”
From the December 10th 2022 edition
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