China imposes new lockdowns as local Covid cases hit record high

Country reports 31,444 new locally transmitted cases, the highest daily figure since pandemic began

China has imposed a fresh series of Covid lockdowns, including in a city where workers at the world's largest iPhone factory clashed with police this week, as a record daily high in Covid cases tested its commitment to follow the rest of the world in easing pandemic restrictions.

The national health commission reported 31,444 new locally transmitted Covid cases on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since the coronavirus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.