Hard though it might be to remember now, little over a year ago there were people in Britain who were still advocating a zero-Covid strategy — not one of getting infections down to manageable levels but seeking to eliminate each and every last case through constant mass testing and regular incarceration of the population. It should have been obvious at the time where that would lead, but for those who prefer to wait for solid, real world evidence, they can see what is now happening in China.
Virtually alone among countries, China has never abandoned its dream of eliminating Covid, with the result this week that more lockdowns were announced. Six million people in the city of Guangzhou — Canton in old speak, just 100 miles from Hong Kong — have been ordered to stay at home. Unless the country rapidly changes course, there will be a lot more of this to come. Recorded covid cases in China, at around 30,000 a day, are higher…
