China said nearly 60,000 people with COVID-19 died in hospital since abandoning its zero-COVID policy, a huge increase from previously reported figures that follows global criticism of the country's coronavirus data.
Passengers of a plane from Dalian in China, head to the coronavirus disease test area, upon their arrival at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, Japan January 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonChina has been criticised for under-reporting COVID deathsTravel recovering ahead of Lunar New Year holiday
A health official said on Saturday that COVID fever and emergency hospitalisations had peaked and the number of hospitalised patients was continuing to decline. While international health experts have predicted at least 1 million COVID-related deaths this year, China had previously reported just over 5,000 since the pandemic began, one of the lowest death rates in the world.
"The standard is basically in line with those adopted by the World Health Organization and other major countries," she said.and respiratory failure after contracting COVID would be classified as COVID deaths. Heart attacks or cardiovascular disease causing death of infected people would not get that classification.Jiao said the number of patients needing emergency treatment was declining and the ratio of patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 was steadily falling as well.
A sharp rise in travel ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, when hundreds of millions return home from cities to small towns and rural areas, has fuelled worry that it will bring a surge in cases during a celebration that begins on Jan. 21. The rapid business recovery is challenging airlines' ability to ensure safety, and great attention to pandemic-related risks is needed, said Song Zhiyong, head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
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