Beijing — The draconian "zero-COVID" policy that China has long touted as a scientific and effective countermeasure against the global coronavirus pandemic seems to be failing. Authorities reported record high COVID-19 case numbers in mainland China for the second consecutive day Friday. 32,695 new infections were recorded on Thursday, the highest figure since the virus was first detected in central China's Wuhan province at the end of 2019. The surging caseload has prompted new and spreading residential lockdowns, and business shutdowns in multiple major cities. While the soaring infections raise serious questions about the success of the measures implemented by the ruling Communist Party, with the stated goal of eradicating the disease completely, the number is dwarfed by cases in many other developed nations. The U.S. logged 36,030 new cases on Thursday, with a population only around a quarter the size of China's. But Beijing is sticking to its guns. Rather than accepting higher inf