China confirms coronavirus data is transparent | Abroad

“China has consistently published data on COVID-19 deaths and serious cases in order to be open and transparent,” Jiao Yahui, a senior official of the national health commission NHC, which serves as the ministry of health, told Xinhua news agency. The country has been dealing with an unprecedented corona wave since it abandoned its zero-COVID-19 policy at the beginning of this month. From January 8, mandatory quarantines will also be abolished for those arriving in China.

A Chinese disease control body reported 5,500 new corona cases in China on Friday and only one death. However, after the end of mass testing and the new, narrower definition of a corona death, the numbers don’t seem to match reality. According to experts from data platform Airfinity, the number of deaths could actually rise to 9,000 per day, with a total of 1.7 million deaths by April 2023.

Jiao Yahui reminded on Thursday that only patients who died of respiratory problems from the virus after taking a positive PCR test are considered corona victims. In other countries, sick people who die within 28 days of a positive test are also included in the COVID-19 deaths.

Several countries, including the United States and Italy, are introducing mandatory PCR testing for travelers from China. Washington cites the lack of information from China about the current corona outbreak as the reason.

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