Beijing reports 55 new local COVID-19 cases

As China's COVID-19 cases continue to rise at an alarming rate, the Chinese capital, Beijing reported 51 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and four asymptomatic cases on Sunday, local media reported citing authorities as saying.

Beijing has shut schools and suspended weddings and funerals, reported a South Korean media outlet on Friday.

According to the city's Education Bureau, all schools have been ordered to finish classes from Friday, with no resumption date announced. The testing mandates in China have affected 20-million residents. The Chinese people are stockpiling and there is a surge in panic buying at local supermarkets, reported Airrang, a South Korean media outlet.

The ongoing severe lockdown restrictions in China's Shanghai to contain the spread of COVID-19 has drastically affected the day-to-day lives of the people due to food shortage.

Furious residents of Shanghai have posted videos of people yelling from the balconies of apartments out of frustration caused by harsh measures imposed by the authorities. But the government has been denying reports of revolt and officials have been contesting saying all is well and managed well.

According to reports, Shanghai residents have also been falling sick after consuming some of the food supplies because of the distribution of stale food by the authorities amid the city's COVID-19 lockdown.

The city's poor handling of the country's worst Covid-19 outbreak in two years has raised public distrust in the authorities and anger at the government.

( With inputs from ANI )