China's soaring COVID case load raises concern about costs of containment

Workers in protective suits prepare a drone amid the snow to disinfect a residential compound under lockdown, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Changchun, Jilin province, China March 14, 2022. [Reuters]

China posted a steep jump in daily COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to hit a two-year high, raising concerns about the rising economic costs of the country's tough containment measures.