China says 239 people died from COVID-19 in June in a significant uptick

BEIJING (AP) — China says 239 people died from COVID-19 in June in a significant uptick months after it lifted most containment measures. The country had reported 164 deaths in May and none at all in April and March. China started employing a “zero-COVID” containment strategy in early 2020 and credits the strict lockdowns, quarantines, border closures and compulsory mass testing with significantly saving lives. But the measures were lifted suddenly in December with little preparation, leading to a final surge in which 60,000 people died. Chinese health officials didn’t say whether they expect the current uptick to continue or if they would recommend for preventative measures to be restored.