According to China, the number of Covid deaths decreased by 80% in the new year

 

According to officials, the number of daily Covid-19 deaths in China has decreased by over 80% since the beginning of the month, which is a hint that the unheard-of infection surge may be beginning to slow down.

Since Beijing abruptly abandoned its zero-Covid policy last month, a wave of virus outbreaks has swept across the country with the largest population in the world.

Given China's strict definition of a Covid death and official estimations that large segments of the population have been infected, Beijing's figures are thought to only be a small portion of the total toll.

The CDC had reported that over 60,000 people had passed away from the virus in hospitals, but last week they added an additional almost 13,000 deaths from Covid-related infections between January 13 and January 19.

Although the wave peaked in late December and early January, when hospitals and crematoriums were full, recent local government pronouncements and media reports suggest that the wave may have begun to subside.

The number of deaths related to the virus in hospitals on Monday was 896, down from 1,496 on January 4, according to a statement released on Wednesday by China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Additionally, the number of severe cases in hospitals dropped to 36,000 by Monday, down from a peak of 128,000 on January 5 by 72 percent, according to the CDC.

The declaration was made during the Lunar New Year, China's greatest public holiday, despite earlier warnings from the government that the time of year's heavy travel and social gatherings would lead to a new wave of infections.

According to data cited by state broadcaster CCTV, 664 million journeys had been made nationally as of Tuesday during the Lunar New Year travel season.