China warns of COVID surge after reducing cell phone tracking, other measures

Recent protests in China are garnering results as the state begins to roll back some of its tracking and quarantine mandates, but as CNN reports, the government is warning that this reduction in measures could lead to unprecedented waves of COVID-19 with rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

Chinese authorities have now announced the cancellation of the "mobile itinerary card," which was used to track user travel data for the previous 14 days. If a person was deemed to have a recent visit to a "high risk" zone, then authorities could ban that person from entry where they saw fit.

Recently, China announced a reversal of many of its long-standing COVID measures. Its health app, mass testing, centralized quarantine, and the scale of its lockdowns were all dialed down due to protests and clashes with police.

Citizens with positive tests are now able to quarantine at home, and schools without any cases are now able to resume regular classes, which was certainly a baffling order.

Now, after lifting some of the harsh restrictions, the government is warning that there could be massive outbreaks with a severe lack of accurate case numbers.

CNN reports from Beijing that "city streets were largely deserted, as residents either fell ill or feared catching the virus," continuing strong warnings of outbreaks that the network described as "dark days ahead" due to the lifting of measures.

An outlet called China Youth Daily, the publication for the "Communist Youth League of China," made claims of "hours-long lines at a clinic."

Government health officials claim there was a massive surge in emergency calls as well, with a sixfold increase in volume from a typical 5,000 calls per day to 30,000, at the Beijing Emergency Center.

A "top COVID-19 expert" named Zhong Nanshan warned on Chinese state media Xinhua that there is relatively little that can be done to prevent the spread.

“No matter how strong the prevention and control is, it will be difficult to completely cut off the transmission chain,” he claimed.

In a shocking revelation from Chinese authorities, a top infectious disease physician spoke on asymptomatic cases, stating “people with asymptomatic infections do not need medication at all. It is enough to rest at home, maintain a good mood and physical condition.”

The doctor, named Li Tongzeng, is allegedly the same person seen infamously promoting the anal-swab COVID-19 test in 2021.