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☆ Beijing braces for surge in severe COVID cases as world watches with concern
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Bernard Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] People wearing face masks commute in a subway station during morning rush hour, following the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19) outbreak, in Beijing, China January 20, 2021. China, which uses a narrow definition of what can be classified as COVID fatalities, reported no new COVID deaths for Dec. 20, compared with five the previous day. Severe cases rose by 53 across China on Tuesday, versus an increase of 23 the previous day. China does not provide absolute figures of severe cases. Blood clots, heart problems and sepsis - an extreme body response to infection - have caused countless deaths among COVID patients around the world.

Now, as the virus sweeps through a country of 1.4 billion people who lack natural immunity having been shielded for so long, there is growing concern about possible deaths, virus mutations and the impact, again, on the economy. Beijing reported five COVID-related deaths on Tuesday, following two on Monday which were the first fatalities reported in weeks. Authorities have also been racing to build so-called fever clinics, facilities where medical staff check patients' symptoms and administer medicines. In the past week, major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Wenzhou announced they had added hundreds of fever clinics, according to government WeChat accounts and media reports. A survey by World Economics showed on Monday China's business confidence fell in December to its lowest since January 2013.

☆ China reports five new COVID deaths for Dec 19 vs 2 a day earlier
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - China reported five new COVID-19 deaths for Dec. 19, compared with two the previous day, increasing the nation's fatalities to 5,242 the National Health Commission said on Tuesday. The country reported 2,722 new symptomatic COVID-19 infections on Dec. 19, compared with 1,995 a day earlier. Excluding imported infections, China reported 2,656 new local cases, up from 1,918 a day earlier. As of Dec. 19, mainland China had confirmed 383,175 cases with symptoms. Reporting by Shanghai newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Child workers found throughout Hyundai-Kia supply chain in Alabama
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

Hyundai and Kia now have dozens of suppliers in Alabama, according to the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, a business group. The agency, they said, hired underage workers while they worked there. “It was my first job in the United States and this is not what you would expect to see here.”Six other former workers told Reuters they, too, saw underage workers at Ajin’s two factories in Cusseta. Herrera said he raised concerns about the underage workers with managers at SMART, but was brushed off. The officials, wearing shirts that bore Hyundai logos, inspected the assembly line even as underage workers labored there, Herrera said.

[1/4] People wait in line at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test centre in Xinyang, China, this still image obtained from social media video released December 15, 2022. China reported 2,157 new symptomatic COVID-19 infections for Dec. 15 compared with 2,000 a day. There is particular concern about China's hinterland in the run up to China's Lunar New Year holiday starting on Jan. 22. The COVID scare in China also led people in Hong Kong, Macau and in some neighbourhoods in Australia to go in search for fever medicines and test kits for family and friends on the mainland. JP Morgan on Friday revised down its expectations for China's 2022 growth to 2.8%, which is well below China's official target of 5.5% and would mark one of China's worst performances in almost half a century.

[1/2] People line up next to a medical worker in a protective suit, at a fever clinic of a hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China December 15, 2022. The pivot away from President Xi Jinping's signature "zero-COVID" policy followed unprecedented widespread protests against it. But, WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said COVID-19 infections were exploding in China well before the government's decision to phase out its stringent regime. There are increasing signs of chaos during China's exit from the zero-COVID policy - with long queues outside fever clinics, runs on medicines, and panic buying across the country. China Meheco Group Co Ltd (600056.SS) said on Wednesday it signed a deal to import the U.S. drugmaker's treatment.

[1/4] Women wearing face masks and face shields talk on a street, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Shanghai, China, December 12, 2022. Reuters witnessed similar queues outside clinics in the central city of Wuhan, where COVID-19 first emerged three years ago. But the figures reflect the dropping of testing requirements, say analysts, while Chinese health expects have warned of an imminent surge. Yet China is pushing ahead with efforts to free up nationwide travel, even if foreign trips may still be a while off. The number of domestic flights available across China exceeded 7,400, nearly double from a week ago, flight tracker app VariFlight showed.

In the central city of Wuhan, where the pandemic erupted in late 2019, there were more signs of life with some areas busy with commuters on Friday. "They've relaxed the measures but still, there’s nobody about," said a taxi driver surnamed Wang, who didn't want to give his full name. But there are signs the reassuring new message has still to convince many of the country's 1.4 billion people. China's current tally of 5,235 COVID-related deaths is a tiny fraction of its population of 1.4 billion, and extremely low by global standards. Some experts have warned that toll could rise above 1.5 million if the exit is too hasty.

"I know COVID is not so 'horrifying' now, but it is still contagious and will hurt," said one post on the Weibo platform. But, while announcing the implementation of the new measures late on Wednesday, some cities urged residents to remain vigilant. It urged residents to wear masks, maintain social distancing, seek medical attention for fever and other COVID symptoms and, especially for the elderly, to get vaccinated. "It (China) may have to pay for its procrastination on embracing a 'living with Covid' approach," Nomura analysts said in a note on Thursday. Infection rates in China are only around 0.13%, "far from the level needed for herd immunity", Nomura said.

☆ Factbox: China's rigid zero-COVID-19 policy starts to thaw
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Beijing has not officially said it is ending its zero-COVID policy, but the adjustments are the clearest sign yet China is quickly pivoting away from that policy and towards letting its people live with the disease. Health officials are still warning that trends in fatalities will be closely watched in case a return to tougher measures is needed. Over the past few weeks, authorities have made varying policy changes in cities such as Guangzhou and Beijing, despite recent record infections. With jubilation, especially in big cities, frustrated by the inconvenience, uncertainty, economic toll and travel hurdles that came with zero-COVID. Also, time will tell with the winter flu season and the annual session of parliament that usually starts on March 5.

[1/4] People wearing masks line up outside a pharmacy to buy products as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Beijing, China December 6, 2022. China may announce 10 new national easing measures as early as Wednesday, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. So, because right now in Chaoyang district cases are quite high, it is better to stock up on some medicines," he said. In the latest incident, videos posted on Twitter showed university students chanting protest slogans against COVID policies on their campus in Nanjing city. The uneven nature of the easing measures and varying interpretation of the rules from city to city has been an ongoing source of frustration for many people and businesses.

REUTERS/Thomas PeterDec 6 (Reuters) - China's capital Beijing dropped the need for people to show negative COVID tests to enter supermarkets and offices on Tuesday, the latest in an easing of curbs across the country following last month's historic protests. "Beijing readies itself for life again" read a headline in the government-owned China Daily newspaper, adding that people were "gradually embracing" the slow return to normality. That has sparked optimism among investors for a broader reopening of the world's second biggest economy that could boost global growth. This marks the first decline in Nomura's closely-watched China COVID lockdown index since the start of October, nearly two months ago. Reporting by Ryan Woo and Bernard Orr in Beijing; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Beijing no longer requires COVID test results to enter supermarkets, buildings
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Dec 6 (Reuters) - China's capital Beijing no longer requires people that enter supermarkets and commercial buildings to show negative COVID-19 tests on their mobile phones, the city government said in a statement on Tuesday. However, the city still requires negative test results to enter Internet cafes, schools, bars, KTV lounges, indoor gyms and elderly care institutions. Reporting by Biejing newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/5] Pandemic prevention workers in protective suits walk in a street as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Beijing, December 4, 2022. Daily tallies of new COVID infections have also dropped in some regions as authorities row back on testing. CHANGING MESSAGEAlongside the easing of local curbs, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees COVID efforts, said last week the ability of the virus to cause disease was weakening. That change in messaging aligns with the position adopted by many health authorities around the world for more than a year. The eastern province of Zhejiang said it planned to largely end mass testing, while the metropolis of Nanjing dropped COVID tests for use of public transport.

☆ Factbox: China's COVID-19 policy in flux
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here are questions and answers about a key turning point in President Xi Jinping's signature policy:IS CHINA ABANDONING ZERO-COVID? Changes varying by location have taken place even in cities such as southern Guangzhou and Beijing, the capital, despite recent record infections. Yet the current tally of 5,235 COVID-related deaths is a tiny fraction of China's population of 1.4 billion, and extremely low by global standards. Many, especially in big cities, frustrated by the inconvenience, uncertainty, economic toll and travel curbs accompanying zero-COVID, would welcome its end. Reporting by Beijing and Shanghai newsroom, Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] Activists protest in the Indiana Statehouse during a special session debating on banning abortion in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. July 25, 2022. REUTERS/Cheney OrrDec 2 (Reuters) - A second Indiana judge on Friday blocked the state from enforcing its law banning most abortions after Jewish, Muslim and other non-Christian women challenged it in a lawsuit. The plaintiffs have argued that the measure infringes on religious freedom protected by another state law. The law had already been on hold, as another judge in September blocked Indiana from enforcing it while Planned Parenthood and other healthcare providers challenge it in court. The ACLU said the plaintiffs represented religions including Judaism and Islam as well as "independent spiritual belief systems."

☆ China reports 34,980 new COVID cases for Dec 1 vs 36,061 a day earlier
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That is compared with 36,061 new cases a day earlier – 4,150 symptomatic and 31,911 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. Excluding imported infections, China reported 34,772 new local cases, of which 4,233 were symptomatic and 30,539 were asymptomatic, down from 35,800 a day earlier. read moreChina's capital Beijing reported 942 symptomatic and 3,026 asymptomatic cases, compared with 1,023 symptomatic and 4,020 asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government data showed. Financial hub Shanghai reported 26 symptomatic cases and 209 asymptomatic cases, compared with 23 symptomatic cases and 174 asymptomatic cases a day before, the local health authority reported. Chongqing reported 189 new symptomatic locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 6,347 asymptomatic cases, compared with 206 symptomatic and 6,433 asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government authorities said.

NO ARCHIVESBEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China is softening its tone on the severity of COVID-19 and easing some coronavirus restrictions even as its daily case toll hovers near records, after anger over the world's toughest curbs morphed into protests across the country. Health experts warn of widespread illness and death if COVID is let loose before vaccination is ramped up. read moreWhile the recent change in tone over COVID appears to respond to the public discontent with the strictness of the measures, authorities are in parallel seeking out those who were present at the demonstrations. China Dissent Monitor, run by U.S. government-funded Freedom House, estimated at least 27 demonstrations took place across China from Saturday to Monday. Australia's ASPI think tank estimated 43 protests in 22 cities.

☆ Chinese vice premier urges improvements in COVID measures as pathogenicity weakens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called for further efforts to improve COVID-19 prevention and control measures, urging "optimisation" of testing, treatment and quarantine policies, as the virus weakens in pathogenicity, according to state media. Her remarks come as cities across China take a more targeted approach to tackle outbreaks, fine-tuning 20 new measures released by the government almost three weeks ago. The government recently announced that it would increase vaccine rates for its elderly and children, the most vulnerable of its population. The cities of Chongqing and Dongguan, also in Guangdong, announced that close contacts of infected patients can also home quarantine. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China says it drove away U.S. cruiser near Spratly Islands
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) - China's military said on Tuesday it drove away a U.S. guided-missile cruiser that "illegally intruded" into waters near the South China Sea's Spratly Islands. Tian said the U.S. cruiser's intrusion showed that the United States was a "security risk maker" in the South China Sea and "is another iron-clad proof of its hegemony in the navigation and militarization of the South China Sea". China's military said its troops would remain on high alert, the Southern Theatre Command said on its WeChat social media account. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea and it has become one of many flashpoints in the testy relationship between it and the United States. U.S. warships have passed through the South China Sea with increasing frequency in recent years, in a show of force against the Chinese claims.

☆ China records drop in new daily COVID cases for Nov. 28
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Monday, China posted a record daily high of 40,347 cases – 3,822 symptomatic and 36,525 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. As of Nov. 28, mainland China had confirmed a total of 315,248 COVID cases with symptoms. On Monday, China's capital Beijing reported 957 symptomatic and 3,429 asymptomatic cases, compared with 840 symptomatic and 3,048 asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government data showed. Financial hub Shanghai reported 20 symptomatic cases and 158 asymptomatic cases, compared with 16 symptomatic cases and 128 asymptomatic cases a day before, the local health authority reported. Chongqing reported 209 new symptomatic locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 8,583 asymptomatic cases, compared with 238 symptomatic and 9,447 asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government authorities said.

☆ Beijing reports 840 symptomatic, 3,048 asymptomatic COVID cases for Nov 27
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Nov 28 (Reuters) - China's capital Beijing reported 840 symptomatic new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 3,048 asymptomatic cases for Nov. 27, local government authorities said on Monday. This compared with 747 symptomatic and 3,560 asymptomatic cases the day before. Authorities said 474 cases on Sunday were found outside quarantined areas. Reporting by Shanghai newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Shanghai reports 16 symptomatic, 128 asymptomatic COVID cases for Nov 27
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SHANGHAI, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Shanghai reported 16 new domestically transmitted symptomatic coronavirus cases for Nov. 27, up from 11 a day earlier, while 128 local asymptomatic cases were reported, up from 119 the previous day, the city government said on Monday. Four cases were reported outside quarantined areas, compared with four the day before. Shanghai recorded no COVID-19-related deaths for Nov. 27, unchanged from a day earlier. Reporting by Shanghai newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China reports another daily record of COVID cases as protests ripple across China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That compares with 39,791 new cases a day earlier – 3,709 symptomatic and 36,082 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. Excluding imported infections, China reported 40,052 new local cases, of which 3,748 were symptomatic and 36,304 were asymptomatic, up from 39,506 a day earlier. China's capital Beijing reported 840 symptomatic and 3,048 asymptomatic cases on Sunday, compared with 747 symptomatic and 3,560 asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government data showed. Financial hub Shanghai reported 16 symptomatic cases and 128 asymptomatic cases, compared with 11 symptomatic cases and 119 asymptomatic cases a day before, the local health authority reported. Chongqing reported 238 new symptomatic locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 9,447 asymptomatic cases, compared with 194 symptomatic and 8,667 asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government authorities said.

☆ Beijing reports 424 symptomatic, 1,436 asymptomatic COVID cases for Nov 24
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Nov 25 (Reuters) - China's capital Beijing reported 424 symptomatic new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 1,436 asymptomatic cases for Nov. 24, local government authorities said on Friday. This compared with 509 symptomatic and 1,139 asymptomatic cases the day before. Authorities said 400 cases on Thursday were found outside quarantined areas. Reporting by Shanghai newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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