The new outbreak of Covid leaves the streets deserted in Chinese cities

The streets of major Chinese cities remained quiet on Sunday as people stayed at home to protect themselves from the surge in Covid-19 cases that hit urban centres.

China is in the first of three expected waves of Covid cases this winter, according to the country’s chief epidemiologist, Wu Zunyou. More waves will come as people follow the tradition of returning en masse to their home areas for the Lunar New Year holiday next month, he said.

China has reported no Covid deaths since Dec. 7, when it abruptly ended most restrictions crucial to a zero-tolerance policy after an unprecedented public outcry.

As part of the easing of zero Covid restrictions, mass testing for the virus has ended, casting doubt on whether the official case numbers can capture the full extent of the outbreak. China has reported about 2,097 new symptomatic Covid infections since December 1.

In Beijing, the spread of the Omicron variant has already reached restaurant services and parcel delivery. Funeral homes and crematoriums in the city of 22 million people are also struggling to meet demand amid shortages of workers and drivers who have fallen ill.

Several hearses entered Beijing’s largest funeral home in Babaoshan on Sunday, while the parking lot for private cars was also full.

Smoke rose from the crematoria, where groups of people gathered to collect the ashes of the dead. It was not clear to what extent Covid was responsible for the increase in deaths.

Social media posts also showed empty subways in the city of Xian, while in Shanghai, the commercial hub of the country, there was no usual New Year’s rush.

In Shanghai, officials said schools must take most classes online from Monday. In nearby Hangzhou, most schools have been encouraged to finish the winter semester early.

Speaking at a conference on Saturday, chief epidemiologist Wu of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the current epidemic will peak this New Year’s Day and occur in three waves over about three months, according to a report. of state media. .

China will celebrate the Lunar New Year from January 21st. The vacation typically drives hundreds of millions of people back home to spend time with family.

A third wave of cases would occur from late February to mid-March when people return to work after the holidays, Wu said.

A US-based research institute said this week that the country could see an explosion of cases and that more than a million people in China could die from Covid in 2023.

Although China rolled out its first Covid vaccines in 2021, vaccination rates among people aged 60 and over have changed little since the middle of this year, according to official data. Only 66.4 percent of people over the age of 80 have completed the full vaccination course, the official Xinhua news agency said.

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Source: Terra

Camila

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.