China yesterday reported two deaths from COVID-19, its first in more than a year, underlining the threat posed by an outbreak of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 that has triggered the country’s highest case counts since the pandemic’s outset.
The Chinese National Health Commission said the deaths occurred in northeastern Jilin Province, which has been hardest-hit by a nationwide rise in cases that has prompted lockdowns or tight restrictions in several cities.
The deaths were the first reported in China since January last year, and bring the country’s total death toll in the COVID-19 pandemic to 4,638. In all, China reported 4,051 new cases yesterday, down from 4,365 the day before, the commission said, adding that more than half of the new cases were in Jilin.
Photo: Reuters
Beijing has touted its low death rate relative to other countries as evidence of the strength of its one-party governance model.
The two new deaths were buried in the commission’s daily report, and state media outlets made little mention of them.
COVID-19 emerged in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, but China has largely kept it under control through strict border controls, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns.
However, the highly transmissible Omicron variant is posing a stern challenge to the effectiveness and long-term viability of the Chinese government’s “zero COVID-19” strategy.
In the past few weeks, some official sources have suggested that China might at some point need to coexist with COVID-19, as other countries are doing, while also warning of the economic effects of mass lockdowns.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) on Thursday said that China would stick with its zero COVID-19 strategy, while also allowing for a more “targeted” approach.
While in the past full lockdowns could be expected for any outbreak, authorities around the country have responded with varying measures to the latest viral spread.
Some cities have been closed off, including the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, home to 17.5 million people.
Shenzhen’s measures were partially eased following Xi’s comments.
Shanghai has moved schooling online and rolled out mass testing, but has averted a full lockdown.
Authorities have also said that mild cases could isolate at central quarantine facilities, having previously sent all patients with any symptoms to specialist hospitals.
However, tens of millions of people remain under stay-at-home orders across China due to an outbreak that has sent daily reported new cases soaring from less than 100 just three weeks ago to several thousand per day now.
Beijing also has watched nervously as Hong Kong has struggled to contain an Omicron outbreak that has sent deaths in the territory soaring into the thousands.
Officials have also moved to free up hospital beds over fears the virus could put the health system under strain.
Jilin has built eight “makeshift hospitals” and two quarantine centers to stem the current upsurge.
State news outlets this week broadcast footage of dozens of giant cranes assembling temporary medical facilities in Jilin, which has only about 23,000 hospital beds for about 24 million residents.
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