China acknowledged Wednesday that it can’t keep track of COVID-19 cases a week after rolling back its draconian “zero COVID” policies that have been in place since the onset of the pandemic.
China’s National Health Commission said it is “impossible” to report an accurate tally of asymptomatic cases, as many people without symptoms are no longer required to participate in mass testing, leaving the full scope of an apparent surge in infections unknown.
COMMITTEE LAUNCHED TO PUT ABORTION ON BALLOT IN OHIO
The commission reported 2,249 new “confirmed” COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, putting the country’s total case count at 369,918, which is more than double what it was on Oct. 1. The reported cases, though, only represent people who have gone to public testing facilities, leaving out many who may have tested at home.
The changes in COVID-19 reporting come as the Chinese government backtracks from its long-standing “zero COVID” policy that forced millions of residents into strict lockdowns over the past two years and stunted economic activity. Under the relaxed guidelines, people with mild or no symptoms are allowed to quarantine in their homes instead of a government facility. The length of COVID-19 lockdowns in areas with detected cases has also been shortened to five days, among other changes.
Chinese President Xi Jinping had defended the “zero COVID” strategy as effective and scientific, though appeared to bow to public pressure after mass protests broke out across the country in recent weeks against the policies.
Dr. Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization’s executive director for its health emergencies program, claimed Wednesday that China’s loosened COVID-19 restrictions did not fuel an uptick in cases, but rather that the previous measures were not effective in controlling infections.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“There’s a narrative at the moment that China lifted the restrictions and all of a sudden the disease is out of control,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization’s executive director for its health emergencies program, per Reuters. “The disease was spreading intensively because I believe the control measures in themselves were not stopping the disease. And I believe China decided strategically that was not the best option anymore.”
Other world health officials had encouraged China to change its methods, arguing that it should be focusing on boosting its vaccination numbers. China has refused to authorize foreign COVID-19 vaccines, opting instead to use ones developed domestically that may not be as effective against newer strains of the virus.
