The return of tight COVID restrictions in a Chinese city many thought to be a test case for a looser policy led to speculation Monday that the country could return to its zero-COVID stance. Schools and universities in Shijiazhuang are on lockdown and at-risk residents were instructed to stay home for five days, with others advised to stay home "in principle," according to a statement in the Shijiazhuang Daily cited by Bloomberg. A rise in COVID cases and the first deaths reported by official Chinese media since May is dampening optimism that the country had reached an inflection point on policy that has weighed heavily on economic output. The Beijing Daily reported that three people died in the capital from the disease. They were aged 87 to 91. More than 900 new cases in Beijing were reported on Sunday. The last time a death was reported, Shanghai was in lockdown. #China Covid Curated https://seekingalpha.com/..