The number of daily cases of COVID-19 in China has reached a new record, authorities announced on Thursday as they try to stop the spread of the virus with strict isolation measures, mass testing and travel restrictions, AFP reported.

China recorded 31,444 new local cases on Wednesday, of which 27,517 were asymptomatic, the Ministry of Health said.

The new figures come on top of the 29,317 local infections reported in mid-April, when Shanghai, the world’s third-most populous city, was under lockdown as residents struggled to buy food and access health care.

China, with a population of 1.4 billion, is the only major economy in the world still struggling to contain the virus’ spread domestically, isolating entire cities and strictly isolating people who have come in contact with infected patients.

In recent days, the Chinese capital has faced an unprecedented outbreak of the epidemic since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. Dozens of residential buildings were isolated, and companies spread remote work.

The city of Beijing announced on Wednesday nearly 1,500 new positive cases (mostly asymptomatic) among its 22 million residents. A level that has not been reached in the capital since the beginning of the pandemic, but which remains very low by international standards.

Schools, restaurants and company headquarters were closed again. Much of Beijing’s population is now mentally exhausted by these restrictions, often vague and changeable, the duration of which is never announced in advance, AFP notes. (Agerpress)