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On Saturday, China reported two Covid-19 deaths, the first in more than a year, underscoring the threat posed by an Omicron epidemic, which has resulted in the country’s highest case counts since the pandemic began.
Both deaths happened in Jilin, the northeastern province that has been severely impacted by a statewide spike in cases that has resulted in lockdowns or stringent restrictions in several cities, according to the National Health Commission.
The deaths are the first in mainland China since January 2021, bringing the overall number of deaths in the pandemic to 4,638 across the country.
According to China’s health authority, 4,051 new cases were reported on Saturday, down from 4,365 the day before, with Jilin accounting for more than half of the new cases.
The communist leadership in Beijing has hailed its low death rate in comparison to other countries as proof of the strength of its one-party rule.
The two additional deaths were buried in the health commission’s daily report, and state-run media sources barely mentioned them.
Under pressure, ‘zero-covid’
The coronavirus first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China’s central metropolis, but the virus has been mostly contained thanks to tight border controls, lengthy quarantines, and targeted lockdowns.
The highly transmissible Omicron form, on the other hand, is posing a serious threat to the government’s “zero-Covid” strategy’s effectiveness and long-term viability.
In recent weeks, several official officials have stated that China, like other countries, may need to coexist with Covid-19 at some point, while also warning of the economic consequences of mass lockdowns.
On Thursday, President Xi Jinping stated that China would maintain its zero-Covid policy while still allowing for a more “tailored” approach.
While in the past, full lockdowns were expected in the event of an outbreak, officials around the country have taken a variety of actions in response to the new virus outbreak.
The southern innovation powerhouse of Shenzhen, which has a population of 17.5 million people, has been closed off. However, following Xi’s remarks, Shenzhen’s restrictions were partially relaxed.
In the meantime, Shanghai has transferred its schooling online and implemented mass testing, but has avoided a complete lockdown.
Authorities have also stated that those with mild cases could be quarantined at central quarantine facilities, despite the fact that all patients with any symptoms had previously been referred to specialty hospitals.
However, due to an outbreak that has seen daily reported new cases jump from less than 100 just three weeks ago to several thousand per day now, tens of millions of people in China are still under stay-at-home orders.
Beijing has also been watching with concern as Hong Kong struggles to curb an Omicron outbreak that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths in the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city.
Mainland Officials in China have also taken steps to free up hospital beds, fearing that the virus may put the country’s health system under strain.
To deal with the present surge, Jilin has constructed eight “makeshift hospitals” and two quarantine centres.
Several state news channels published pictures this week of dozens of massive cranes erecting temporary medical facilities in Jilin, which has only about 23,000 hospital beds for a population of 24 million people.
Long lines have formed outside mass testing locations around China, and stringent controls have been implemented at ports, prompting fears of trade disruption.
