A Tale of Three Cities Fighting Omicron Outbreaks

Authorities across China are ramping up virus control measures as the country struggles to combat its worst outbreak since the pandemic began more than two years ago.

The latest local outbreaks, mostly driven by the more transmissible and harder-to-identify BA.2 subvariant of omicron, have made the task of disease prevention and control even more daunting.

As the central government recalibrates the country’s Covid-19 response strategy to address changing realities, local authorities are under pressure to strike a balance between virus control and social costs.