In the mainland of China, where the first cases were seen in the Covid-19 epidemic, the first loss of life due to the virus occurred after more than a year. According to the statement made by the National Health Commission of China, 2 people infected with the virus died in Cilin province in the northeast of the country.
A FIRST AFTER 1 YEAR!
The last reported death due to Covid-19 was on January 26, 2021 in mainland China.
Cases carrying the Omicron variant in China have spread to numerous provinces and regions in recent weeks. While the number of daily cases exceeded 3 thousand on some days, it reached up to 5 thousand with “asymptomatic” cases that were not included in the general total because they did not show any symptoms.
THE “ZERO CASE” STRATEGY STARTED TO BE DISCUSSED
The picture revealed by the highly contagious Omicron variant has turned into a test for China’s “zero case” strategy against Covid-19.
Strategy aimed at suppressing Covid-19 cases where they occur and cutting the chain of transmission; requires strict and large-scale measures such as quarantine, travel restrictions, mass testing. The measures sometimes cause controversy in terms of their interference in the normal flow of life and their cost.
UNCERTAINTY RULES IN FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS
It remains unclear how China will adapt its fighting strategy over time, while other countries have largely removed their epidemic protection measures against Covid-19 and normalized.
President Xi Jinping, at the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCP), which he chaired on March 17, emphasized the need to adhere to the “zero case strategy”, stating that the increasing cases in recent weeks should be brought under control quickly.
On the other hand, the epidemic wave caused by locally sourced cases due to the Omicron variant of Covid-19 created the largest epidemic wave ever seen in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
Since the beginning of the year, the number of cases has exceeded 1 million and the number of deaths has exceeded 5 thousand in the city with a population of approximately 7 million. 88 percent of the cases in the city and 89 percent of the deaths were recorded in this period. (AA)