China on Saturday reported nearly 60,000 deaths. Among people infected with COVID-19 since early December after accusations it failed to release. The data and said it appeared to have passed the “emergency peak” of its latest outbreak.
The National Health Commission announced that since December 8, 5,503 people have died of respiratory disease. Hnd 54,435 have died of other diseases. It said most of these “Covid-related deaths” occurred in hospitals, which likely meant more people died at home.
The report would more than double China’s official COVID-19 death toll since the disease was first. Identified in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019
China stopped reporting data on COVID-19 deaths and infectionsThat began in October and hospitalizations of feverish, respiratory patients.
The World Health Organization and other governments appealed for information after reports. From city and provincial governments that tens of millions of people in China could be infected with the virus.
Xiao Yahui, an official at the National Health Commission, said the peak of the latest infection wave appears to have passed. Based on a drop in the number of patients at fever clinics.
According to Xiao, the daily number of people visiting the clinic peaked at 2.9 million on December 23 and fell 83% to 477,000 on Thursday.
“These data show that the peak of the national emergency has been passed,” Xiao told a news conference.
The United States, South Korea and other governments have imposed virus-testing. And other controls on people arriving from China. Beijing retaliated on Wednesday by suspending. The issuance of new visas to travelers from South Korea and Japan.
With a “zero-Covid” strategy that aimed to isolate every case.
It blocked access to some cities, kept millions at home and sparked angry protests.
According to the Health Commission, the average age of people who died. were suffering from cancer. Heart or lung disease or kidney problems.
“The number of elderly patients who die from the disease is relatively China high. Which is why we should pay more attention to elderly patients and do our best to save their lives,” Xiao said.
This month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that agency officials had met. With Chinese officials to underline. The importance of sharing more details about COVID-19 issues. Including hospitalization rates and genetic sequences.
