China reported 20,472 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday. That is the highest number for the country since the start of the corona pandemic.

Most of the positive people tested showed no symptoms. However, just over 1,400 people did have symptoms. The record figure comes at a time when the Chinese zero-Covid policy is under heavy pressure due to the advance of the extra contagious corona variant omikron.

More than 80 percent of the documented infections have been identified in Shanghai. All 26 million residents of China’s largest city have been in lockdown since last week, which was recently extended. The measure is intended to reduce the number of infections, but there are food shortages and dissatisfaction about sitting out infections in special isolation facilities.

Supermarkets are closed, and food deliveries are limited, while all residents have to be retested for the coronavirus. The local government has said it will not lift the measures until the latest round of testing is completed and the results have been evaluated. A health official speaks of a “race against time” in the current outbreak.