Why are China’s Covid rules so strict?

China has stuck steadfastly to its ‘zero-Covid’ strategy (Andy Wong/AP)

At the outbreak of the pandemic, China set out “zero-Covid” measures that were harsh, but not out of line with what many other countries were doing to try to contain the virus.

However, while most other nations saw the health and safety regulations as temporary until vaccines were widely available, China has stuck steadfastly to its strategy.