What’s new: China reported two Covid-19 deaths Friday, the first in more than a year, as the omicron variant sweeps across the country.
Both deaths were recorded in the northeastern province of Jilin, a statement from the National Health Commission (NHC) said, without elaborating.
The world’s most populous nation is battling its worst Covid-19 outbreak in two years. It recorded 3,870 local cases Friday, taking the overall tally this month to more than 28,000, according to the health commission.
What’s more: As of Friday, Jilin province, which borders North Korea and Russia, had logged more than 12,000 cases in its latest omicron outbreak, local authorities told state-run Xinhua News Agency. The province has placed its 24 million residents into lockdown since Monday, and suspended all classes in kindergartens, primary and middle schools, authorities said.
Since the pandemic began, the Chinese mainland has confirmed 128,462 cases and 4,638 deaths, according to the NHC statement on Friday. The last reported deaths on the mainland were in January 2021.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com)
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