{"id":2788,"date":"2023-01-04T12:12:49","date_gmt":"2023-01-04T12:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=2788"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:39:38","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:39:38","slug":"china-promises-final-victory-over-covid-as-outbreak-alarms-worldwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/magazine\/health-and-lifestyle\/china-promises-final-victory-over-covid-as-outbreak-alarms-worldwide\/2023\/01\/04\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"China promises ‘final victory’ over COVID as outbreak alarms worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BEIJING<\/span> (Reuters) January,4<\/span>\u00a0–<\/span> A<\/span> Chinese<\/span> Communist<\/span> Party<\/span> newspaper<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday<\/span> urged<\/span> citizens<\/span> to<\/span> seek<\/span> a<\/span> “final<\/span> victory”<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> assembled<\/span> virus,<\/span> prompting<\/span> global<\/span> health<\/span> officials<\/span> to<\/span> slam<\/span> the<\/span> new<\/span> coronavirus<\/span> raging<\/span> in<\/span> China.<\/span> We<\/span> are<\/span> trying<\/span> to<\/span> clarify<\/span> the<\/span> facts<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> outbreak<\/span> of<\/span> infectious<\/span> disease<\/span> (COVID-19)<\/span> and<\/span> prevent<\/span> further<\/span> spread<\/span> of<\/span> infection.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China’s<\/span> lifting<\/span> of<\/span> stringent<\/span> virus<\/span> restrictions<\/span> last<\/span> month<\/span> has<\/span> unleashed<\/span> COVID<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> population<\/span> of<\/span> 1.4<\/span> billion<\/span> with<\/span> little<\/span> natural<\/span> immunity<\/span> that<\/span> has<\/span> protected<\/span> them<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> virus<\/span> since<\/span> it<\/span> emerged<\/span> in<\/span> downtown<\/span> Wuhan<\/span> three<\/span> years<\/span> ago.<\/span> .<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Many<\/span> funeral<\/span> homes<\/span> and<\/span> hospitals<\/span> say<\/span> they<\/span> are<\/span> overwhelmed,<\/span> and<\/span> international<\/span> health<\/span> experts<\/span> predict<\/span> at<\/span> least<\/span> 1<\/span> million<\/span> deaths<\/span> in<\/span> China<\/span> this<\/span> year,<\/span> but<\/span> China<\/span> has<\/span> seen<\/span> fewer<\/span> than<\/span> five<\/span> deaths<\/span> a<\/span> day<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> policy<\/span> shift.<\/span><\/div>\n

\n<\/span>Japan<\/span> is<\/span> the<\/span> latest<\/span> country<\/span> to<\/span> require<\/span> a<\/span> negative<\/span> test<\/span> before<\/span> boarding,<\/span> along<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States,<\/span> Australia<\/span> and<\/span> others.<\/span> European<\/span> Union<\/span> health<\/span> officials<\/span> will<\/span> meet<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> to<\/span> discuss<\/span> a<\/span> coordinated<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> travel<\/span> to<\/span> China.<\/span> China,<\/span> which<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> largely<\/span> shut<\/span> down<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> world<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> pandemic<\/span> began,<\/span> will<\/span> stop<\/span> requiring<\/span> quarantine<\/span> for<\/span> incoming<\/span> travelers<\/span> from<\/span> Jan.<\/span> 8.<\/span> However,<\/span> arriving<\/span> passengers<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> tested<\/span> before<\/span> embarking<\/span> on<\/span> their<\/span> travels.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China<\/span> reported<\/span> five<\/span> new<\/span> COVID<\/span> deaths<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday,<\/span> bringing<\/span> the<\/span> official<\/span> death<\/span> toll<\/span> to<\/span> 5,258,<\/span> very<\/span> low<\/span> by<\/span> global<\/span> standards.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>UK-based<\/span> health<\/span> data<\/span> firm<\/span> Airfinity<\/span> says<\/span> about<\/span> 9,000<\/span> people<\/span> are<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> die<\/span> from<\/span> COVID<\/span> every<\/span> day<\/span> in<\/span> China.<\/span> A<\/span> chaotic<\/span> scene<\/span> was<\/span> seen<\/span> at<\/span> Zhongshan<\/span> Hospital<\/span> in<\/span> Shanghai.<\/span> Many<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> patients<\/span> were<\/span> elderly,<\/span> jostling<\/span> for<\/span> space<\/span> in<\/span> crowded<\/span> halls<\/span> between<\/span> makeshift<\/span> beds,<\/span> using<\/span> oxygen<\/span> ventilators,<\/span> and<\/span> receiving<\/span> intravenous<\/span> fluids.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> Reuters<\/span> witness<\/span> counted<\/span> seven<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> hearses<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> parking<\/span> lot<\/span> of<\/span> Tongji<\/span> Hospital<\/span> in<\/span> Shanghai<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday.<\/span> The<\/span> worker<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> had<\/span> at<\/span> least<\/span> 18<\/span> yellow<\/span> bags<\/span> used<\/span> to<\/span> transport<\/span> bodies.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Investors<\/span> now<\/span> want<\/span> policy<\/span> stimulus<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> coronavirus<\/span> turmoil<\/span> slows<\/span> China’s<\/span> $17<\/span> trillion<\/span> economy<\/span> to<\/span> its<\/span> slowest<\/span> growth<\/span> rate<\/span> in<\/span> nearly<\/span> half<\/span> a<\/span> century.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China’s<\/span> yuan<\/span> hit<\/span> a<\/span> four-month<\/span> high<\/span> against<\/span> the<\/span> dollar<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> after<\/span> China’s<\/span> finance<\/span> minister<\/span> pledged<\/span> to<\/span> step<\/span> up<\/span> fiscal<\/span> expansion.<\/span> The<\/span> central<\/span> bank<\/span> has<\/span> also<\/span> hinted<\/span> at<\/span> more<\/span> policy<\/span> support.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Analysts<\/span> at<\/span> UBS<\/span> expect<\/span> a<\/span> ‘big<\/span> bang’<\/span> approach<\/span> to<\/span> reopening<\/span> will<\/span> cause<\/span> a<\/span> ‘deeper<\/span> but<\/span> shorter<\/span> recession’<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> economy,<\/span> though<\/span> they<\/span> expect<\/span> activity<\/span> to<\/span> pick<\/span> up<\/span> from<\/span> February.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Chinese<\/span> media<\/span> reported<\/span> that<\/span> interest<\/span> in<\/span> traveling<\/span> abroad<\/span> is<\/span> reviving<\/span> despite<\/span> new<\/span> restrictions<\/span> in<\/span> some<\/span> countries.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Before<\/span> the<\/span> pandemic,<\/span> global<\/span> spending<\/span> by<\/span> Chinese<\/span> tourists<\/span> was<\/span> over<\/span> $250<\/span> billion<\/span> a<\/span> year,<\/span> but<\/span> the<\/span> number<\/span> of<\/span> flights<\/span> to<\/span> and<\/span> from<\/span> China<\/span> is<\/span> still<\/span> a<\/span> fraction<\/span> of<\/span> he<\/span> pre-COVID<\/span> levels.<\/span> Thailand<\/span> expects<\/span> at<\/span> least<\/span> 5<\/span> million<\/span> Chinese<\/span> arrivals<\/span> this<\/span> year.<\/span> In<\/span> 2019,<\/span> she<\/span> saw<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 11<\/span> million<\/span> Chinese<\/span> visit<\/span> Thailand.<\/span> This<\/span> is<\/span> almost<\/span> a<\/span> third<\/span> of<\/span> all<\/span> visitors.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> there<\/span> are<\/span> already<\/span> indications<\/span> that<\/span> increased<\/span> international<\/span> travel<\/span> from<\/span> China<\/span> could<\/span> pose<\/span> a<\/span> problem.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>South<\/span> Korea,<\/span> which<\/span> began<\/span> testing<\/span> a<\/span> traveler<\/span> from<\/span> China<\/span> on<\/span> Monday,<\/span> said<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> a<\/span> fifth<\/span> of<\/span> her<\/span> test<\/span> results<\/span> were<\/span> positive.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BEIJING (Reuters) January,4\u00a0– A Chinese Communist Party newspaper on Thursday urged citizens to seek a “final victory” over the assembled virus, prompting global health officials to slam the new coronavirus raging in China. We are trying to clarify the facts about the outbreak of infectious disease (COVID-19) and prevent further spread of infection. China’s lifting […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[562,2425,2428],"tags":[152,361,362,424,657,658,660],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IV2E53VTQVJGZCBA5UEMOSHJVE.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2788"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2788"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2795,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2788\/revisions\/2795"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}