China’s National Health Commission (NHC) today stopped publishing daily COVID-19 data, amid doubts about their reliability as infections have exploded in the wake of an abrupt easing of tough restrictions. The commission said that relevant COVID information would be published by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for reference and research. Despite the record surge of infections, the NHC had reported no COVID deaths nationwide for four consecutive days before halting the data release. Earlier, China narrowed its definition for reporting COVID deaths, counting only those from COVID-caused pneumonia or respiratory failure. According to state media, the country’s healthcare system has been under enormous strain, with staff being asked to work while sick and even retired medical workers in rural communities being rehired to help grass-root efforts.
The World Health Organization has received no data from China on new COVID hospitalizations since Beijing eased its restrictions. The organization says, the data gap might be due to the authorities struggling to tally cases in the world’s most populous country.
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