China stops Covid tracking app, cases drop sharply from all-time highs: 7 points

Covid In China: The app will go offline this week, according to an official WeChat post, after more than two years in operation.

China said it would retire an app used to track Covid-19 contacts, marking a major milestone in the country's rapid turn away from its ‘Zero-Covid’ policy. The "Communications Itinerary Card" was used to track whether someone has been to a high-risk area based on their phone signal. The app will go offline this week, according to an official WeChat post, after more than two years in operation, AFP reported.

Covid In China: Security guards wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the Covid-19 pandemic sit at an entrance of a building in Beijing. (AFP)

Here are top updates on Covid in China:

1. The card was a central part of China's zero-Covid policy as millions of people were required to key in their phone numbers to produce its signature green arrow in order to travel or enter events.
2. The decision comes just days after China announced an end to large-scale lockdowns, mandatory quarantine, and a broad relaxation of testing measures.
3. Reported cases in the country have dropped sharply from all-time highs last month. China reported 8,838 new Covid-19 infections for December 11, of which 2,240 were symptomatic and 6,598 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said. That is compared with 10,815 new cases a day earlier.
4. China's capital Beijing reported 528 symptomatic and 609 asymptomatic cases, compared with 784 symptomatic and 877 asymptomatic cases the previous day.
5. Shanghai reported 11 symptomatic cases and 120 asymptomatic cases, compared with 4 symptomatic cases and 197 asymptomatic cases a day before.
6. Guangzhou reported 414 new locally transmitted symptomatic and 599 asymptomatic cases.
7. However, top Chinese health expert Zhong Nanshan warned that the prevailing Omicron variant was "spreading rapidly" through the country.