COVID broke out in China after restrictions were lifted
2022.12.28 00:09
COVID broke out in China after restrictions were lifted
Budrigannews.com – On Wednesday, a rash of COVID-19 infections put a strain on resources in Chinese hospitals, making it the last major nation to treat the virus as endemic.
China began dismantling the world’s most stringent COVID regime of lockdowns and extensive testing this month in a sudden policy shift, setting its battered economy on track for a complete reopening next year.
According to some international health experts, COVID is spreading largely unchecked and likely infecting millions of people every day because restrictions were eased after widespread protests against them.
Countries around the world that have been “living with the virus” are considering travel restrictions for Chinese visitors as a result of the rapid pace at which COVID rules have been scrapped.
China reported three new COVID-related deaths on Tuesday, up from one on Monday. These numbers are inconsistent with the outcomes of much smaller nations when they reopened.
Since curbs were eased on Dec. 7, staff at Huaxi, a large hospital in Chengdu’s southwest, reported being extremely busy taking care of COVID patients.
Unidentified ambulance driver stated, “I’ve done this job for 30 years and this is the busiest I have ever known it” outside the hospital.
On Tuesday evening, there were long lines inside and outside the hospital’s emergency department as well as at a fever clinic that was nearby. The majority of people who arrived in ambulances received oxygen to assist with breathing.
One member of the emergency department pharmacy staff stated, “Almost all of the patients have COVID.”
She stated that the hospital is only able to provide medications for symptoms like coughing because it lacks stocks of COVID-specific medications.
According to an official at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital named Zhang Yuhua, the majority of the most recent patients were elderly people who were critically ill and had underlying diseases. According to state media, she stated that the daily number of patients receiving emergency care had increased to 450-550 from about 100.
In the hospital’s intensive care unit, rows of mostly elderly patients, some of whom were breathing through oxygen tubes, were shown receiving treatment from medical staff dressed in white hazmat suits in photographs published by the state-run China Daily.
Many Chinese, who have been cut off from the outside world for so long, are now checking travel platforms as a major step toward more open travel. From January 8, China will no longer require inbound travelers to go into quarantine, according to authorities this week.
However, despite the fact that online searches for flights increased on Tuesday from extremely low levels, residents and travel agencies predicted that a return to normal would take several months due to concerns about COVID and increased spending as a result of the pandemic.
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Furthermore, additional travel requirements for Chinese visitors were being considered by some governments.
“The lack of transparent data, including viral genomic sequence data” was one of the reasons given by U.S. officials for doing so.
Travelers from mainland China would have to pass a negative COVID test in India and Japan, and those who test positive in Japan would have to spend a week in quarantine. Additionally, Tokyo intends to restrict airline expansion into China.
China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that “COVID measures should be scientific, moderate, and should not affect the normal flow of individuals” when asked about the travel requirements imposed by Japan and India.
Workers and consumers in China’s $17 trillion economy are likely to get sick, which will slow down factory output and domestic consumption.
As the world’s second-largest economy is likely to face subdued global demand in 2023, news of China reopening its borders pushed global luxury stocks higher. However, the reaction was less strong in other parts of the market.
Automobile manufacturer Tesla (NASDAQ:) an internal schedule reviewed by Reuters indicates that plans to run a reduced production schedule at its Shanghai plant in January, extending the restricted output it began this month into the following year.
The reason for the planned slowdown in production was not specified by Tesla.
Some economists anticipate that after the initial shock of new infections passes, Chinese growth will rebound from its expected lowest rate of 3% this year in nearly half a century with a vengeance.
NYSE: Morgan Stanley Economists anticipate growth of 5.4% in 2023, while Goldman Sachs (NYSE:) see 5.2%.
