Virus flares again in Wuhan as delta challenges China’s defenses

China is confronting its broadest Covid-19 outbreak since the pathogen first emerged there in late 2019, with the delta variant spreading to places that had been declared virus-free for many months, including original epicenter Wuhan.

Delta has broken through the country’s virus defenses, which are some of the strictest in the world, and reached nearly half of China’s 32 provinces in a number of weeks. While the overall number of infections -- more than 300 so far -- is still lower than Covid resurgences elsewhere, the wide spread indicates that the variant is moving quickly. It’s the biggest challenge to China’s strategy since the virus was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, the central Chinese city that saw the world’s first lethal outbreak. The country’s strict anti-virus measures, which include mass testing as soon as a case appears, aggressive contact tracing, widespread use of quarantines and targeted lockdowns, have crushed more than 30 previous flareups over the past year.