China experiences first wave of coronavirus since restrictions lifted

The collapse of China’s zero-covid policy has left the country virtually paralyzed, with empty streets and lines at pharmacies, a month before the New Year holidays. Lunar New Yearwhich could lead to an even sharper increase in the number of infections.

In major cities such as Beijing, the lifting of restrictions has led to an increase infections which, however, is not reflected in official statistics -China reported this Sunday just 2,097 new cases of covid discovered the day before, after PCR tests that residents had to take several times a week were discontinued in order to have access to any public facility.

The reality is that these days many are in “self-isolation” while they are being tested for antigens and, in line with the policy change, isolate themselves at home if they test positive instead of being transferred to quarantine centers like this. it was just a few weeks ago. . . .

Others are queuing up at pharmacies to stock up on drugs and are getting used to living with the virus after three years of politicszero covid’, which consisted in the isolation of all infected and their close contacts, strict border control, imprisonment and constant mass tests of the population.

Meanwhile, experts predict that the country is “in the first of three waves” of the crisis. COVID-19 cases for this winter, Wu Zunyu, the country’s chief epidemiologist, explained on Saturday.

“The first wave will last from mid-December to mid-January and will take place mainly in large cities. We will see the second wave at the end of January and will last until mid-February 2023 due to travel for the holidays due to the Lunar New Year,” Wu said, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

To cope with the increase infections During the Lunar New Year holidays, the largest annual migration in the world, which in 2023 will take place between January 21-27, the executive branch has already asked local governments to prioritize medical care in rural areas “to protect the population” , noting the “relative lack of health resources”, high mobility during holidays and travel of migrant workers returning to their places of origin.

According to Wu, third wave It will last from the end of February to mid-March, after the end of the holidays.

NO DEATHS IN THE FIRST WAVE

According to their official count, National Health Commission no deaths reported from COVID-19 since December 7 last year, almost at the moment when the country decided to abandon its previous strategy after the protests it caused.

Judging by the videos circulating on social networks, in addition to BeijingOther cities, such as southwestern Chengdu, also had deserted streets these days, and in the eastern metropolis of Shanghai or the southern canton, authorities decided to close schools until further notice to prevent the virus from spreading further.

In an unexpected turn Chinese government assured earlier this month that the country has “conditions” to adjust its measures in the face of a “new situation” in which the virus is causing fewer deaths, although it also announced a plan to accelerate the vaccination of the elderly, one of the most vulnerable groups, but at the same time more reluctant to be vaccinated.

According to the agency Xinhuaalmost 87% of people over 60 were fully vaccinated, but among those over 80 this percentage drops to 66.4%.

Click official also started a few weeks ago to minimize the risk omicron variant through numerous articles and interviews with experts, a plot twist that has accompanied the loosening of some of the most stringent “zero covid” policies.

The change came as restriction fatigue crystallized in protests in various parts of the country following the deaths of ten people in a building that was apparently being held in detention. Urumqi (northwest) with slogans such as “I don’t want RCC, I’m hungry” or “Give me back my freedom.”

The government claimed to have saved millions of lives throughzero covid’, and on the same Sunday, Xinhua assured in an editorial that China “He was true to his word and put people and their health first.”

“China has changed the focus of its covid response strategy because the pathogen has weakened. But this does not contradict the harsh reality, namely that this is one of the countries in the world that saved the most lives during the pandemic. pandemic in the world in terms of saving lives from a pandemic COVID-19. In three years, China he has more resources, better conditions and more confidence in defeating the coronavirus, ”the editors note.

EFE