[1/4] People wait in line at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test centre in Xinyang, China, this still image obtained from social media video released December 15, 2022.
China reported 2,157 new symptomatic COVID-19 infections for Dec. 15 compared with 2,000 a day.
There is particular concern about China's hinterland in the run up to China's Lunar New Year holiday starting on Jan. 22.
The COVID scare in China also led people in Hong Kong, Macau and in some neighbourhoods in Australia to go in search for fever medicines and test kits for family and friends on the mainland.
JP Morgan on Friday revised down its expectations for China's 2022 growth to 2.8%, which is well below China's official target of 5.5% and would mark one of China's worst performances in almost half a century.