Published: Less than 20 min ago
A new death from covid-19 – the first in almost six months – is reported from China. Both in Beijing and around the country, strict restrictions apply to prevent new outbreaks of the virus.
The latest victim of the virus is an 87-year-old man from Beijing. Before that, no new deaths have been confirmed since May 26, when Shanghai had a major outbreak.
Over 92 percent of Chinese are vaccinated with at least one dose, but among the elderly the percentage is lower. This applies especially to those over 80 years of age. The vulnerability of the elderly is believed to be one reason why the country continues its zero-tolerance policy against the virus, despite growing protests from the population.
At the same time, the authorities in the city of Zhengzhou announce that they will no longer require negative covid tests from children under the age of three, or other “special groups”, when they seek medical care. The news comes after a four-month-old girl died in a so-called quarantine hotel in Zhengzhou.
According to reports, it took the father eleven hours to get care for the child, who was suffering from diarrhea and vomiting, after medical staff refused to help her. He was forced to travel ten miles to a hospital with the child. The case has sparked outrage on social media and people have called for the Zhengzhou authorities to be punished.
In November, a three-year-old boy died of carbon monoxide poisoning in the northwestern city of Lanzhou, after his parents were prevented from seeking care due to the country’s Covid-19 lockdown. Another case was a pregnant woman who suffered a miscarriage after a hospital refused to admit her.
The ruling Communist Party has promised that people who are in quarantine or who cannot show a negative covid test should not be refused emergency medical care. But local authorities often adhere to strict rules, fearing reprimands should another outbreak occur in their area.