A pregnant woman in the Chinese municipality of Chongqing claimed to have suffered a miscarriage due to strict COVID-19 protocols imposed by her complex’s administrators.

According to local media, the pregnant woman from the Jiulongpo district, identified only as Lei, failed to receive her treatment in time after she was prevented from leaving her apartment due to an imposed lockdown. 

Lei, who was reported to be 10 weeks pregnant, reportedly alerted their property administrators via WeChat that she needed medical attention after feeling unwell at around 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 12.

After communicating with different personnel, the patient was eventually brought to the hospital around noon. By the time she reached the hospital, she had already suffered a miscarriage.

According to local authorities, ineffective communication between the patient and the property management staff, as well as the availability of vehicles to transport patients in a timely manner, contributed to the delay.

The investigating committee also dismissed claims that the property administrators prevented ambulances from entering the complex.

The news comes as China continues to implement its strict zero-COVID measures to combat the spread of the pandemic, which is currently infecting an average of 9,567 people per day in the country, according to The New York Times., The number of cases have increased by 577 percent from the average two weeks prior.

On Monday, the National Health Commission reported 16,072 new transmitted cases in the country, the highest daily total in China since Shanghai’s sudden outbreak in April.

Under the country-wide policy, authorities have been deploying testing and quarantines to isolate identified cases. 

Last month, shocking footage emerged showing a woman purportedly being dragged to a COVID-19 quarantine camp by officials in hazmat suits. 

Featured Image via 菲姨索诗