Beijing, 25 November 2022 (dpa/MIA) – The number of new coronavirus infections logged per day in China has tripled during the past two weeks, to reach the highest level since the early days of the pandemic three years ago, the Health Commission in Beijing reported on Friday. The commission put the daily number of new infections at 32,700, with the new wave being attributed to the Omicron variant. Restrictions on movement are in place in large cities, including: Beijing; Guangzhou in southern China, which has been badly hit; and in Chongqing. In Beijing, restaurants, many businesses and schools remain shuttered, with only supermarkets and other food markets still open. Many employees are working from home. Beijing's 21 million inhabitants have been urged to stay at home as much as possible. Analysts at Japan's Nomura finance group currently estimate that more than a fifth of China's economy has been hit by lockdowns, twice the figure in October. On Thursday, new infections hit levels higher than those seen in April, when a strict lockdown was imposed in Shanghai for two months. China continues to pursue a zero-Covid strategy, an approach that has long been abandoned in most countries. Single cases can lead to entire residential quarters being cordoned off. The infected are isolated in hospitals, while those in contact with them are placed in quarantine. Few visas are issued to those wishing to enter China, and people entering have to spend five days or more in special hotels. Protests have erupted at the measures, and local authorities are under severe financial pressure. Shoppers entering Beijing supermarkets have to show a recent negative test. The policy has led to long queues at testing centres.