The chances of China facing a major Covid-19 rebound in the coming next two or three months is unlikely as 80 per cent of the country's population has already been infected by the virus, said a senior government scientist on Saturday.&nbsp;The pandemic may spread widely and increase infections in a few areas due to people's mass movement during the country's ongoing Lunar New Year holiday season, however, China is less likely to face a second Covid wave in the near term, claimed China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou on the Weibo social media platform.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/about-900-million-in-china-infected-with-covid-chinese-university-study-552374">About 900 million in China infected with Covid: Chinese university study</a>

Across China, millions of Chinese citizens have been travelling for holiday reunions after the Covid-19 curbs were recently eased, which raised fears of fresh Covid-19 outbreaks in the country's rural areas, which are not well-equipped to handle massive surge in infections.

The peak of the number of coronavirus patients admitted in emergency rooms, fever clinics and in critical conditions has already passed in China, said a National Health Commission official on Thursday.

WATCH | China Covid: WHO says China reports big jump in Covid hospitalisations by 70%

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As per the government data, around 60,000 Covid-19 patients have died in hospital till January 12, almost a month after the zero-Covid policy was abruptly scrapped by the Chinese government.

However, some experts stated that the figure given by the government is an undercount of the complete impact, as it fails to include many people who died at home, and because various doctors have accepted that they were discouraged from writing Covid-19 as the cause of death.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The chances of China facing a major Covid-19 rebound in the coming next two or three months is unlikely as 80 per cent of the country's population has already been infected by the virus, said a senior government scientist on Saturday.

The chances of China facing a major Covid-19 rebound in the coming next two or three months is unlikely as 80 per cent of the country's population has already been infected by the virus, said a senior government scientist on Saturday. The pandemic may spread widely and increase infections in a few areas due to people's mass movement during the country's ongoing Lunar New Year holiday season, however, China is less likely to face a second Covid wave in the near term, claimed China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou on the Weibo social media platform. ALSO READ | About 900 million in China infected with Covid: Chinese university study Across China, millions of Chinese citizens have been travelling for holiday reunions after the Covid-19 curbs were recently eased, which raised fears of fresh Covid-19 outbreaks in the country's rural areas, which are not well-equipped to handle massive surge in infections. The peak of the number of coronavirus patients admitted in emergency rooms, fever clinics and in critical conditions has already passed in China, said a National Health Commission official on Thursday. WATCH | China Covid: WHO says China reports big jump in Covid hospitalisations by 70% As per the government data, around 60,000 Covid-19 patients have died in hospital till January 12, almost a month after the zero-Covid policy was abruptly scrapped by the Chinese government. However, some experts stated that the figure given by the government is an undercount of the complete impact, as it fails to include many people who died at home, and because various doctors have accepted that they were discouraged from writing Covid-19 as the cause of death. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Chances of Covid-19 rebound unlikely, 80% of population in China already infected: Scientist

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday (January 19) that China reported a 70% rise in weekly Covid hospitalisations, the highest since the pandemic started. According to the WHO's report based on data submitted by Beijing, the number of people hospitalised rose by 70 % to 63,307 versus the previous week, news agency Reuters reported. However, the United Nations health agency said it was awaiting "detailed provincial data disaggregated by week of reporting" on nearly 60,000 virus-related hospital deaths reported by China last week and did not include them in the tally.

A few days back, the WHO had urged China to share more information on the pandemic and said it will continue to work with the government providing technical advice and support, and engaging in analysing the situation.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a data-loopstyle="link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-announces-censorship-crackdown-to-get-rid-of-covid-rumours-on-internet-554148">China announces censorship crackdown to remove Covid ‘rumours’&nbsp;</a>

Thursday's development comes as Beijing said that the worst was over in its battle against Covid ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations. Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees the country's virus response, said on Thursday the outbreak was at a "relatively low" level. Chunlan's comment comes after health officials said the number of virus patients in clinics, emergency rooms and with critical conditions had peaked.

Zhang Xiangyang, the director of the emergency department at the Beijing Tsinghua Changgeng Hospital told CCTV on Thursday that since mid-December last year, the number of patients received at the ER increased by two to three folds. The CCTV report said that Zhang's department received over 70 Covid patients in critical condition in just one day on January 8, whose average age was over 70 years. Of these, more than 10 recovered and were discharged over the past 10 days, the report added.&nbsp;

South Korea to lift mask mandate for indoor public places from Jan 30

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Friday (January 20) that the government will lift the face mask mandate for most indoor public places from January 30, becoming the latest step to ease Covid rules in the country. However, Prime Minister Duck-soo still recommended that people should keep their faces covered and pointed out that masks will still be required on transport and in medical facilities. During a Covid response meeting, he said, "The daily number of new infections is continuing to decline and despite concerns over a spike in cases in China, the situation here is under control without major troubles," news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The dropping of the mask mandate for public places comes as South Koreans will mark the Lunar Year Holidays during which they will travel to their home towns. Prime Minister Duck-soo also warned during Friday's meeting that the easing of mask rules could cause a temporary surge in new Covid infections, urging health authorities to stay vigilant, especially to those who are more vulnerable to the virus.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a data-loopstyle="link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/around-500-people-evacuated-as-massive-blaze-engulfs-south-korean-slum-554291">Around 500 people evacuated as massive blaze engulfs South Korean slum</a>

Since the onset of the pandemic, South Korea has recorded more than 29.9 million infections and 33,104 deaths, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). The government has scrapped most of the Covid-related curbs including dropping the outdoor mask rule in May last year, but it maintains a seven-day isolation for people testing positive for the virus.&nbsp;

Additionally, the South Korean government requires that travellers from China, Macau and Hong Kong should provide a negative Covid test result before departure. As a retaliation,&nbsp;<a data-loopstyle="link" href="https://www.wionews.com/east-asia/covid-19-curbs-japan-protests-over-citizens-visa-suspension-china-defends-retaliation-551384">China suspended issuing short-term visas</a>&nbsp;in South Korea. The Chinese embassy in Seoul suspended issuing short-term visas for South Korean visitors on January 10. Taking to WeChat, the embassy said it would adjust the policy subject to the lifting of South Korea's "discriminatory entry restrictions" against Beijing.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a data-loopstyle="link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-halloween-stampede-cops-blame-fatal-crush-on-negligence-552279">South Korea Halloween crowd crush: Cops blame negligence for fatal incident</a>

South Korea's foreign minister &nbsp;Park Jin said on January 11 that the visa suspension was deeply regrettable while highlighting that Seoul still issues visas to Chinese visitors with urgent requests. "It's deeply regrettable that China took such a countermeasure by entirely suspending issuance of short-term visas. We make exceptions and issue visas for diplomatic, work, urgent business or humanitarian purposes," Jin told reporters, according to an earlier Reuters report.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday (January 19) that China reported a 70% rise in weekly Covid hospitalisations, the highest since the pandemic started.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday (January 19) that China reported a 70% rise in weekly Covid hospitalisations, the highest since the pandemic started. According to the WHO's report based on data submitted by Beijing, the number of people hospitalised rose by 70 % to 63,307 versus the previous week, news agency Reuters reported. However, the United Nations health agency said it was awaiting "detailed provincial data disaggregated by week of reporting" on nearly 60,000 virus-related hospital deaths reported by China last week and did not include them in the tally. A few days back, the WHO had urged China to share more information on the pandemic and said it will continue to work with the government providing technical advice and support, and engaging in analysing the situation. ALSO READ | China announces censorship crackdown to remove Covid ‘rumours’ Thursday's development comes as Beijing said that the worst was over in its battle against Covid ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations. Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees the country's virus response, said on Thursday the outbreak was at a "relatively low" level. Chunlan's comment comes after health officials said the number of virus patients in clinics, emergency rooms and with critical conditions had peaked. Zhang Xiangyang, the director of the emergency department at the Beijing Tsinghua Changgeng Hospital told CCTV on Thursday that since mid-December last year, the number of patients received at the ER increased by two to three folds. The CCTV report said that Zhang's department received over 70 Covid patients in critical condition in just one day on January 8, whose average age was over 70 years. Of these, more than 10 recovered and were discharged over the past 10 days, the report added. South Korea to lift mask mandate for indoor public places from Jan 30 South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Friday (January 20) that the government will lift the face mask mandate for most indoor public places from January 30, becoming the latest step to ease Covid rules in the country. However, Prime Minister Duck-soo still recommended that people should keep their faces covered and pointed out that masks will still be required on transport and in medical facilities. During a Covid response meeting, he said, "The daily number of new infections is continuing to decline and despite concerns over a spike in cases in China, the situation here is under control without major troubles," news agency Reuters reported. The dropping of the mask mandate for public places comes as South Koreans will mark the Lunar Year Holidays during which they will travel to their home towns. Prime Minister Duck-soo also warned during Friday's meeting that the easing of mask rules could cause a temporary surge in new Covid infections, urging health authorities to stay vigilant, especially to those who are more vulnerable to the virus. ALSO READ | Around 500 people evacuated as massive blaze engulfs South Korean slum Since the onset of the pandemic, South Korea has recorded more than 29.9 million infections and 33,104 deaths, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). The government has scrapped most of the Covid-related curbs including dropping the outdoor mask rule in May last year, but it maintains a seven-day isolation for people testing positive for the virus. Additionally, the South Korean government requires that travellers from China, Macau and Hong Kong should provide a negative Covid test result before departure. As a retaliation, China suspended issuing short-term visas in South Korea. The Chinese embassy in Seoul suspended issuing short-term visas for South Korean visitors on January 10. Taking to WeChat, the embassy said it would adjust the policy subject to the lifting of South Korea's "discriminatory entry restrictions" against Beijing. ALSO READ | South Korea Halloween crowd crush: Cops blame negligence for fatal incident South Korea's foreign minister Park Jin said on January 11 that the visa suspension was deeply regrettable while highlighting that Seoul still issues visas to Chinese visitors with urgent requests. "It's deeply regrettable that China took such a countermeasure by entirely suspending issuance of short-term visas. We make exceptions and issue visas for diplomatic, work, urgent business or humanitarian purposes," Jin told reporters, according to an earlier Reuters report. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Covid: China reports 70% rise in weekly hospitalisations, highest since pandemic began, says WHO

The residents of China have received a warning against visiting the elders in their homes during the holidays of the Lunar New Year, as the Covid-19 virus continues to travel rapidly through various cities as well as regional areas.&nbsp;State council pandemic prevention team’s member Prof Guo Jianwen appealed to people “don’t go home to visit them” if the virus has not infected their elderly relatives.

“You have all kinds of ways to show you care for them, you don’t necessarily have to bring the virus to their home,” Jianwen&nbsp;said on Thursday.

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-what-is-chinas-chun-yun-the-largest-annual-migration-in-the-world-550353">Explained: What is China's ‘chun yun’, the largest annual migration in the world?</a>

The period holiday, which was set to start on January 21, was meant to be days of celebration and festivities after the restrictions over Covid-19 were lifted in December, however, the celebrations have been washed away by the coronavirus wave.

This week, health authorities said that infections have peaked in various provinces as well as cities like Shanghai and Beijing. However, serious concerns have been raised in regional areas where the health resources are more limited and a large number of people are reported unvaccinated.

Yale University’s assistant professor Dr Chen Xi, who has specialised in ageing and public health, said, “The situation in rural China is very murky. We have strong reasons to believe rural China will get much worse as the spring festival approaches.”

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: 90% of people in China's Henan province infected with the Wuhan Virus, official says

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Along with appealing to people to avoid travelling, regional authorities have been asked to ensure that pandemic materials are supplied to every region, which includes medication for two weeks.

As per Global Times, teams of drivers were asked to be arranged by the communities so that patients in villages can be transported “when ambulances from medical institutions cannot arrive in time”.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The residents of China have received a warning against visiting the elders in their homes during the holidays of the Lunar New Year, as the Covid-19 virus continues to travel rapidly through various cities as well as regional areas.

The residents of China have received a warning against visiting the elders in their homes during the holidays of the Lunar New Year, as the Covid-19 virus continues to travel rapidly through various cities as well as regional areas. State council pandemic prevention team’s member Prof Guo Jianwen appealed to people “don’t go home to visit them” if the virus has not infected their elderly relatives. “You have all kinds of ways to show you care for them, you don’t necessarily have to bring the virus to their home,” Jianwen said on Thursday. ALSO READ| Explained: What is China's ‘chun yun’, the largest annual migration in the world? The period holiday, which was set to start on January 21, was meant to be days of celebration and festivities after the restrictions over Covid-19 were lifted in December, however, the celebrations have been washed away by the coronavirus wave. This week, health authorities said that infections have peaked in various provinces as well as cities like Shanghai and Beijing. However, serious concerns have been raised in regional areas where the health resources are more limited and a large number of people are reported unvaccinated. Yale University’s assistant professor Dr Chen Xi, who has specialised in ageing and public health, said, “The situation in rural China is very murky. We have strong reasons to believe rural China will get much worse as the spring festival approaches.” WATCH | Gravitas: 90% of people in China's Henan province infected with the Wuhan Virus, official says Along with appealing to people to avoid travelling, regional authorities have been asked to ensure that pandemic materials are supplied to every region, which includes medication for two weeks. As per Global Times, teams of drivers were asked to be arranged by the communities so that patients in villages can be transported “when ambulances from medical institutions cannot arrive in time”. (With inputs from agencies)

People in China warned against visiting elders in Lunar New Year as Covid cases spread rapidly

China's ongoing struggle to combat the latest surge in Covid cases was seen in visuals that went viral on social media. In a video posted on Twitter, cited to be of December 28, people can be seen being treated outside a hospital said to be located in Shanghai, China's most populous urban area.&nbsp;A user on social media claimed that some patients were being treated outside the "overflowing emergency department" of the Shanghai hospital. The patients were also treated in the hallway due to lack of space, the user added in another tweet.

The viral videos, however, cannot be independently verified by WION.

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Dec 28 video, this hospital in Shanghai treated some patients outside the overflowing emergency department. <a href="https://t.co/UHSVjE3m3Y">pic.twitter.com/UHSVjE3m3Y</a>
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Meanwhile, China on Thursday insisted it had been transparent with the international community about its Covid data, as it hit back against World Health Organisation criticism that its tally of virus deaths was understating the true scale of its outbreak.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-asks-china-to-provide-a-more-realistic-picture-of-covid-19-situation-549382">WHO says data provided by China ‘under-represents’ true impact of Covid outbreak</a>

China has only recorded 23 Covid deaths since December, after narrowing the criteria for classifying Covid fatalities.&nbsp;

Beijing's statistics about the unprecedented wave are now widely seen by other countries as not reflecting reality.

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-confirms-no-new-variant-from-chinas-covid-surge-549503">W.H.O. confirms no new variant from China's Covid surge</a>

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In Geneva on Wednesday, WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said the global organisation was without "complete data" from China.

"We believe that the current numbers being published from China under-represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, and particularly in terms of deaths," he said.&nbsp;

The definition Beijing is using is "very narrow", he added.

Beijing hit back on Thursday, insisting China had "always shared relevant information and data with the international community, with an open and transparent attitude".

"We hope the WHO secretariat will uphold a scientific, objective and just position, and make efforts to play a positive role for the world's response to the pandemic challenge," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in a press briefing.

(With inputs from agencies)

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China's ongoing struggle to combat the latest surge in Covid cases was seen in visuals that went viral on social media. In a video posted on Twitter, cited to be of December 28, people can be seen being treated outside a hospital said to be located in Shanghai, China's most populous urban area.

China's ongoing struggle to combat the latest surge in Covid cases was seen in visuals that went viral on social media. In a video posted on Twitter, cited to be of December 28, people can be seen being treated outside a hospital said to be located in Shanghai, China's most populous urban area. A user on social media claimed that some patients were being treated outside the "overflowing emergency department" of the Shanghai hospital. The patients were also treated in the hallway due to lack of space, the user added in another tweet. The viral videos, however, cannot be independently verified by WION. Dec 28 video, this hospital in Shanghai treated some patients outside the overflowing emergency department. pic.twitter.com/UHSVjE3m3Y — Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 2, 2023 × Meanwhile, China on Thursday insisted it had been transparent with the international community about its Covid data, as it hit back against World Health Organisation criticism that its tally of virus deaths was understating the true scale of its outbreak. ALSO READ | WHO says data provided by China ‘under-represents’ true impact of Covid outbreak China has only recorded 23 Covid deaths since December, after narrowing the criteria for classifying Covid fatalities. Beijing's statistics about the unprecedented wave are now widely seen by other countries as not reflecting reality. WATCH | W.H.O. confirms no new variant from China's Covid surge × In Geneva on Wednesday, WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said the global organisation was without "complete data" from China. "We believe that the current numbers being published from China under-represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, and particularly in terms of deaths," he said. The definition Beijing is using is "very narrow", he added. Beijing hit back on Thursday, insisting China had "always shared relevant information and data with the international community, with an open and transparent attitude". "We hope the WHO secretariat will uphold a scientific, objective and just position, and make efforts to play a positive role for the world's response to the pandemic challenge," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in a press briefing. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WATCH | China's Covid surge forces Shanghai hospital to treat patients outside