China might be phasing out of its COVID-zero era, but experts warn 'there is no playbook or exit strategy'

China is gripped by mixed messaging and uncertainty over the direction of Xi Jinping's COVID-zero policy, as cases hit an all-time high and the president quarantines after his own close call.

In the past two weeks, the world's last COVID-zero hold-out has seen case numbers surge from just a few hundred at the end of October to almost 30,000.

Unlike the Shanghai wave earlier this year, where similar numbers of daily infections were officially announced, the latest outbreaks are happening across multiple cities including the capital Beijing.