Ask HN: How does China have so few Covid cases?

- Very stringent location-specific lockdowns (e.g. an entire block) as infections are detected.

- Proactive testing and detection. E.g. many places like malls or hospitals require visitors to show a green code on a tracking app in their phone indicating that they are safe.

- Border that is almost closed with extreme quarantine requirements for visitors and quotas for incoming visitors

The Chinese government is able to do the first 2 because of their tight control on people and organizations.

The negative number is telling me that people don't like facts, or even just the statement of facts without value judgment, and just like to engage in identity politics and judgment even when politics is unnecessary.

At the local level, despite Beijing's efforts, there is just very little incentive to report the actual numbers. This adds up, and has a feedback loop as provinces compete to have fewer and fewer cases.

The actual numbers are potentially much higher.

Read _The Naked Sun_ by Asimov for a proximate answer. Glorious isolation as a solution to all the ills of messy civilization.