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Covid rates in China were rising in run-up to Labour Day holiday
- Medical authorities say case numbers are likely to rise further, but risk of severe infections remains low
- The country recorded more than 6,000 cases in one day – well below the peak of 7 million recorded in December
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The Chinese health authority has warned of an “upward trend” in Covid-19 infections in the week before the start of the extended Labour Day holiday.
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However, medical experts have said that they believe the immunity provided by previous infections and vaccination will protect most of the population from developing severe symptoms.
There were 6,752 positive PCR tests recorded on April 27, up from 2,661 infections the previous Thursday, according to the latest data released by the China Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday.
Though the number of infections was still far lower than the peak of nearly 7 million recorded on December 22, the health authority said the week of April 21-27 showed an “upward trend”.
The figures also showed the positive rate from PCR tests reached 4.4 per cent on Thursday, compared with 1.7 per cent a week before. This was well below the peak of 29.2 per cent recorded in December, although the data did not provide comparative test numbers.
The increase in cases came ahead of the start of a five-day public holiday on Saturday, where the number of journeys taken is expected to exceed the 2019 total.
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