Overview: China copes with dissent over lockdowns, plus research and other developments

As COVID cases rise, China locks down despite criticism The restrictions are at the heart of the unrest in China as the country grapples with a rising number of infections after years of quarantine policies Jaimy Lee MarketWatch

The COVID-19 restrictions are at the heart of the unrest in China as the country grapples with a rising number of infections after years of quarantine policies. 

CNN reports there is “a growing torrent of dissent toward China’s unrelenting zero-Covid lockdowns.” A fatal fire in an apartment building in Xinjiang has raised further questions, with residents in that city restricted to their homes for more than three months, according to the New York Times. An estimated one-fifth of the country is under restrictions, and more than 1.3 million people in China are under medical observation this week after being exposed to the virus, the Financial Times reported.