China reports more COVID deaths as infections surge

Beijing, China - China reported two new deaths from COVID

19 on Monday, both elderly Beijing residents, as several major cities persisted with

strict virus curbs despite a much-touted recent loosening.

The last major economy wedded to a ZERO-COVID policy, Chinese authorities have continued to impose snap lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines in response to emerging outbreaks.

Despite the central government this month announcing its most significant easing of the measures so far, authorities in many areas have stuck to hardline curbs as the number of new cases has spiked.

Monday’s deaths involved a 91-year-old woman with a history of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, and an 88-year-old man with a history of cancer, bronchitis and stroke, local authorities said. On Sunday, Beijing announced China’s first

COVID fatality since May, an 87-year-old man whose mild case worsened after he contracted a bacterial infection.

New cases in the capital jumped to 962 on Monday

from 621 the day before, as authorities maintained a patchwork of restrictions in an effort

to extinguish flare-ups.