China to 'stick with' zero-Covid strategy: Xi

Residents take their Covid-19 test at a tent as it snows in Changchun city in northeastern China's Jilin province on March 15, 2022. - Chinatopix Via AP

BEIJING (AFP): Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday (March 17) the country will "stick with" its zero-Covid strategy, state TV reported, as the world's most populous nation battles its largest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic.

The country where the virus emerged in late 2019 has largely kept subsequent outbreaks under control thanks to a combination of strict border controls, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns, and has not reported any coronavirus-related deaths for over a year.