Covid Infection Rate Hits 89% in Chinas 3rd Most Populous Province

The cover image of this article is from usatoday.com.

In China’s third most populated province, Kan Quancheng, Director of the Health Commission, has announced that around 90% of the population has been infected with Covid-19. Henan province is home to 99.4 million inhabitants, meaning that around 88.5 million people may be infected.

The rate of infection peaked on December 19th, and has since been steadily decreasing. China’s zero-Covid protocol has been dismantled to combat the overwhelming surge in cases. As the country celebrates the lunar new year, many citizens are set to travel to see elderly family members in the rural areas. This can potentially lead to a further increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.

The Chinese government has mandated that visitors must present negative Covid-19 test results in order to enter the country. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the number of international flights to and from China is a fraction of what it was prior to Covid-19.

To control the spread of the virus, the Chinese government has put in place policies that intend to reduce the risk of severe Covid-19 infections. The People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist party, has referred to this as an “important shift” that has moved from “preventing infection” to “preventing severe disease”.

The Chinese government’s decision to re-open its borders has been met with enthusiasm in the international financial markets. This is because investors believe that this will lead to the revival of the country’s GDP, which is valued at $17tn.

This optimism is shared by Chinese citizens, such as Michael Harrold, a copy editor in Beijing. Harrold, who had left for Europe in early December, was pleasantly surprised to find that he did not have to quarantine or take several covid-19 tests upon his return.

Despite the figures reported by the Chinese government indicating a low rate of Covid-19 related deaths (5,272 as of 8 January), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has suggested that the number could be much higher. In the coming year, WHO estimates that the death toll could exceed 1 million in China.

Although the CCP’s policies have been effective in decreasing Covid-19 infection rates domestically, the country’s tourism industry is still struggling to recover. Although domestic tourism revenue is expected to reach 70-75% of pre-Covid levels, international travel is forecasting to only reach 30- 40% of the same level.

It appears that the Chinese government is taking measured steps to control the spread of the virus, while allowing citizens to return to some form of normalcy. Whether this gamble to reduce Covid-19 infections and revive the country’s economy will pay off is yet to be seen.