New COVID-19 Variant Drives Up Infections in China; Authorities Play Down Public Health Risk

The COVID-19 infections have rebounded in China due to the spread of a new immunity-evading variant.

A couple look at a mobile phone as they wait outside a restaurant for a table in a retail shopping area in Beijing on April 18, 2023. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

COVID-19 infections have rebounded in China as a new immunity-evading variant spreads quickly, sparking concern among the populace because of the ruling communist party’s record of coverups and draconian lockdown restrictions.

The new strain, EG.5, has become the dominant COVID infection in many provinces in mainland China, China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on the Chinese social media platform WeChat on Aug. 19.