Chinese cyber authorities have announced an internet censorship crackdown to ensure there are no “gloomy sentiments” caused by pandemic “rumours” during the lunar new year festival. It comes as health forecasting firm Airfinity estimated more than 600,000 people have likely died since zero-Covid restrictions were lifted in December – 10 times more than Chinese authorities have officially declared. The month-long “Spring Festival online improvement” program will target those spreading what authorities deem to be “rumours” about the spread of Covid and patient experiences. The national cyber administration specified “in-depth rectification…
Tag: Coronavirus
China’s economy slows sharply with GDP growth among worst on record
China’s GDP expanded at its slowest pace since the mid-1970s bar the Covid-hit 2020 year, as the world’s second-largest economy struggled under tight pandemic restrictions that were abruptly ditched late in 2022. The economy grew 3% last year, well shy of the 5.5% pace the government had targeted at the start of the year and the 8.1% recorded for 2021. The actual rate though, was better than the 2.7% predicted by the World Bank earlier this month. Analysts will focus on the December quarter growth tally of 2.9%, which exceeded…
China’s deadly coronavirus wave – podcast
In early December with protests growing and coronavirus spreading, China abruptly abandoned its zero-Covid policy, in effect letting the virus run through its population of 1.4 billion people. As Tania Branigan tells Michael Safi the effects have been extraordinary: in a country not well vaccinated and with limited numbers of ICU beds, especially away from large cities, it has been devastating. At the weekend, authorities admitted that at least 60,000 people had died in hospitals in the current wave so far, but experts believe the true number of total deaths…
China braces for Covid surge as lunar new year travel rush begins
Luggage-laden passengers flocked to railway stations and airports in China’s megacities on Monday, heading home for holidays that health experts fear could intensify a Covid-19 outbreak that has claimed thousands of lives. After three years of strict and suffocating anti-virus controls, China in early December abruptly abandoned its zero-Covid policy, letting the virus run freely through its population of 1.4 billion. Authorities on Saturday said nearly 60,000 people with Covid had died in hospitals between 8 December and 12 January, a huge increase from previous figures that had been criticised…
Nearly 60,000 people have died of Covid in China in past five weeks
Almost 60,000 people have died of Covid in China in the past five weeks, authorities have announced. China is in the grip of a major wave of the virus after abruptly lifting its zero-Covid policy restrictions in December, with some major cities estimating between 70% and 90% of their populations have been infected. Anecdotal reports and long queues at morgues and crematoriums point to a high death toll but until Saturday, authorities had only officially recorded a few dozen Covid-19 deaths. The shortfall was due to stringent definitions of how…
Chinese flock to Hong Kong to get private Covid booster shots
Private services offering Chinese travellers access to mRNA vaccines are attracting droves of mainlanders to Hong Kong and Macau seeking a booster shot that their government has refused to approve. As part of its dismantling of the country’s zero-Covid policy last month, China’s government also lifted quarantine and other border restrictions. It prompted a wave of interest in overseas travel, particularly for the upcoming lunar new year holiday later this month. However, there also appears to be a large contingent chasing the mRNA bivalent vaccines. Throughout the pandemic the Chinese…
Chinese warned not to visit elderly relatives as Covid spreads from cities
People in China have been warned against travelling to visit their elderly relatives during the lunar new year holiday, as Covid spreads rapidly through cities and into regional and poorer areas. Prof Guo Jianwen, a member of the state council’s pandemic prevention team, urged people “don’t go home to visit them” if elderly relatives had not yet been infected. “You have all kinds of ways to show you care for them, you don’t necessarily have to bring the virus to their home,” Guo said on Thursday. The holiday period, which…
Tokyo lodges protest after China punishes Japanese travellers over Covid test requirements
Japan has lodged a protest with Beijing over its decision to suspend the issuance of visas to Japanese citizens in retaliation for Covid testing requirements for travellers from China. Chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno characterised the move as an act of revenge rather than a public health measure and requested China reverse the decision. “It is regrettable that China unilaterally has taken visa suspension action for reasons other than steps for the coronavirus,” he said on Wednesday. China’s government suspended processing of the visas on Tuesday after the suspension of…
China halts short-term visas for South Korea and Japan over Covid travel curbs
China has suspended issuing short-term visas in South Korea and Japan after announcing it would retaliate against countries that required negative Covid-19 tests from Chinese travellers. China has ditched mandatory quarantines for arrivals and allowed travel to resume across its border with Hong Kong since Sunday, removing the last major restrictions under the “zero-Covid” regime that it abruptly began dismantling in early December after protests against the curbs. But the virus is spreading unchecked among its 1.4 billion people and worries over the scale and impact of its outbreak have…
Travel between China and Australia tipped to rebound rapidly as Chinese airlines ramp up flights
Chinese airlines are ramping up flights to Australia as Covid restrictions ease, boosting the prospects for a rapid rebound in travel between the two nations. Airports said the market was dynamic with carriers large and small restarting routes dormant during the pandemic years, with more flights likely to be added as demand picks up. Lengthy quarantine requirements for travellers to China since 2020 saw passenger flights largely stopped between Australian cities and mainland China. Melbourne, for instance, went from about 70 flights a week to just one while routes between…