Omicron Covid variant could cause China to double down on zero-Covid

– by admin China could double down on its zero-Covid approach as the new omicron variant reignites concerns about another Covid wave in the global pandemic and wreaked havoc across global markets last week , analysts say. "The spread of highly transmissible variants may ultimately make the strategy untenable. But in the short-term, the authorities are more likely to double down," said Mark Williams, chief Asia economist at Capital Economics, in a note Friday, adding that it will have "implications" for China's zero-Covid strategy. "Intermittent local lockdowns will continue to hit activity directly, while worries of being flagged as a…