Why Does China Persist With Its 'Zero-COVID' Strategy?

COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The outbreak with its comparatively higher mortality rate frightened the government and the public, leaving the government little choice but to adopt draconian measures. This involved, principally, to shut down the entire city and to setup central facilities to quarantine all suspected cases. Wuhan's 76-day lockdown was unprecedented but vital under the circumstances. Many provinces across China mobilized emergency assistance, including medical personnel and equipment, to Wuhan. Other cities later followed the zero-COVID measure, keeping millions of people in lockdown at a time, in homes, in schools or even at work…