China is once again isolating students as COVID-19 infections soar, raising fears of a return to the harsh lockdowns of the past. The Epoch Times has reported that schools across several provinces have been suspending classes and placing students under quarantine. This move has triggered concerns among families and health experts, who remember the painful zero-COVID measures that were only lifted in late 2022.
The Latest COVID-19 Outbreak
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) reported that infection rates doubled in April, with 168,507 cases, including 340 severe cases and nine deaths. Infection rates are higher in southern provinces, according to the agency. However, residents and doctors on the ground say the real situation is far worse than what the government is admitting.
Kang Hong, a doctor in Guangzhou, said that symptoms in this wave of COVID-19 are much worse than typical cold symptoms. “Their symptoms are far more severe than the common cold,” Kang told The Epoch Times. He added that the symptoms include the “white-lung” condition often seen in COVID-19 patients. Most of his patients come in with fevers and coughs, but they are not getting tested for COVID-19 because they do not want to spend more than 100 yuan—about $13.90—on a test.
Kang also shared that many people fear social panic if large-scale COVID-19 testing resumes. He said that “hospitals in China had not conducted large-scale nucleic acid testing for a long time because it was worried about causing social panic.” One doctor in a large hospital in Guangzhou, who was the father of Kang’s daughter’s friend, died recently from COVID-19 after delaying his test until symptoms became severe.
Residents Speak Out
Ordinary citizens are seeing the impact of this latest surge in their own homes. Mr. Li, a resident in Guangzhou, told The Epoch Times that many people around him—including his whole family—have symptoms similar to colds. “They were diagnosed with COVID-19 several times before, and they believe that their symptoms are another round of COVID-19,” Li said.
Mr. Guo, who lives in Shenzhen, said that during the May Day holiday, many people began traveling and later developed cold-like symptoms. He believes these are likely COVID-19 infections as well.
In Inner Mongolia, Liu Kun, who runs a private clinic in Hohhot city, said there has been a noticeable rise in COVID-19 cases. “Many experience symptoms of coughing, sputum, vomiting, and diarrhea,” Liu told The Epoch Times. He said some patients’ symptoms have lasted for months. He believes that “there may be an explosive growth in infections in June and July” based on how this disease is spreading.
Mr. Xu, who lives in Benxi city in Liaoning Province, said that some of his friends and relatives recently developed severe cold-like symptoms. “We have already realized that it may be COVID-19 caused by a mutated virus,” he said. “The symptoms have been dragging on and not getting better. It cannot be cured by medicine at all.” Xu also said that there have been sudden deaths among people in their 40s and 50s.
In Shanxi Province, Mr. Luo said that his family members—including his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter—have all been infected recently.
The Impact on Schools
The surge in infections has prompted schools in different parts of China to act quickly. In Shaanxi and Jiangsu, some schools suspended classes after students developed fevers, which were suspected to be COVID-19.
A “home quarantine notice” from a primary school in Guangzhou circulated on Chinese social media before it was deleted by censors. The notice said that a third-grade student had to quarantine at home for seven days and would need health certificates from a clinic and community health service agency to return to school.
More recently, schools in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin also halted classes after COVID-19 clusters appeared. In Hangzhou, ten second-grade students in the same classroom tested positive for COVID-19, leading to a four-day class suspension. Shanghai also suspended in-person teaching for one elementary school class after several students were diagnosed with the flu and others developed similar symptoms.
Concerns About a Return to Zero-COVID Measures
These new suspensions have reignited fears that China’s strict zero-COVID policy could come back. From 2020 to the end of 2022, China used aggressive lockdowns, mass testing, and forced quarantines to try to control the virus. But Dr. Jonathan Liu, director of Liu’s Wisdom Healing Centre and a professor at Canada Public College, told The Epoch Times that although cases are increasing, it is unlikely that the government will bring back full lockdowns.
“Following the continuing strategy of concealment, the Chinese regime does not want to shut down the cities or implement the zero-COVID policy at the moment because that will seriously affect its economic development,” Liu explained. “Now, stimulating economic development is the regime’s top priority.”
Sean Lin, an assistant professor at Feitian College and a former U.S. Army microbiologist, said the authorities will likely avoid large-scale lockdowns because of public backlash. “So the government is now building mobile cabin hospitals or temporary isolation facilities in various regions to quietly take people away,” Lin said.
He also noted that local governments have already started building these makeshift facilities in places like Urumqi in the Xinjiang region and other provinces. “Some places may have adopted measures to let people stay at home for quarantine, but it will not turn into a large-scale policy unless the regime is unstable and the authorities have to take such measures,” he said.
New Variant Behind the Surge
Chinese health officials said that the NB.1.8.1 variant of Omicron is now the main variant in China. Lin explained that this variant “has an almost 1.8-fold improvement in immune escape capability,” making it easier for the virus to spread. However, he also said that the World Health Organization has classified it as a “variant under monitoring,” not yet considered a serious threat internationally.
Lin said that China’s habit of hiding data makes it hard to know the true scale of the outbreak. “The people do not know the real situation and the severity of the wave of outbreak, especially the severity rate and mortality rate. The authorities don’t tell the people,” he said. “China often covers up many things until they can no longer be covered up. When they come out, the situation is already quite serious and may be out of control. This is actually the biggest concern.”
The Broader Picture
This is not the first time China has suspended classes to stop COVID-19 infections. In late 2022, the government closed schools and moved to online learning after protests erupted against the strict zero-COVID policy. At that time, the removal of restrictions caused a massive wave of infections that spread to nearly 90 percent of the population in less than two months.
Now, as infections rise again and schools suspend classes to protect students, many Chinese families are remembering the fear and hardship of those earlier lockdowns. The government insists that things are under control, but many residents fear that the worst is yet to come.
For now, students are back in quarantine, schools are shut in many places, and many families are bracing for what could be another difficult summer of sickness and uncertainty.