BEIJING China claims Covid deaths: Since the beginning of the month, the number of daily Covid-19 deaths in China has decreased by about 80%, according to the authorities. This is a hint that the nation’s record infection rise may be beginning to slow down.
Since Beijing abruptly abandoned its zero-Covid policy last month, a wave of virus outbreaks has swept across the country with the largest population in the world.
Beijing’s figures for Covid death are likely to be a small portion of the total toll because of China’s strict definition of a Covid death and the official estimations that large segments of the population have been infected.
The CDC had reported that over 60,000 individuals had passed away from the virus in hospitals in just over a month, but last week they added an additional approximately 13,000 deaths from Covid-related infections between January 13 and January 19.
Although the wave peaked in late December and early January, when hospitals and crematoriums were full, recent local government pronouncements and media reports suggest that the wave may have begun to subside.
The number of deaths related to the virus in hospitals on Monday was 896, down from 1,496 on January 4, according to a statement released on Wednesday by China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Additionally, the number of severe cases in hospitals dropped to 36,000 by Monday, down from a peak of 128,000 on January 5 by 72 percent, according to the CDC.
During Lunar New Year, China’s greatest public holiday, the government made a declaration despite earlier warnings that heavy travel and social gatherings would lead to a new wave of infections.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that as of Tuesday, 664 million journeys had been made nationally during the Lunar New Year travel season.