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☆ China food safety scandal: Cooking oil carried in same trucks as fuel, report claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Joyce Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Experts quoted in official media also discussed health hazards of the alleged practices. “Using chemical tankers for edible oils will inevitably result in residual contamination,” said Liu Shaowei, a food safety expert cited by CCTV. Several executives found to be responsible for the 2008 case were ultimately handed death sentences, and the tragedy drove deep mistrust of domestic products and food safety in China. Another case in 2022, also exposed by state media, showed how “dirty” pickled cabbage was supplied to popular instant noodle brands. Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of food safety and the security of grain and food staple supplies.

Persons: Xi Jinping, –, ”, Liu Shaowei, Liu, ’, ‘, Xi, ” Xi, Yanzhong Huang, Huang, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Oil Group, Council, CCTV, ” Communist Party, Weibo, Monday, CNN, Food Safety, Foreign Relations Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Communist, New York

☆ China launches 'unprecedented' crackdown on its healthcare industry amid economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —China has launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign targeting its hospitals, pharmaceutical industry and insurance funds as it grapples with mounting economic challenges and long-standing public frustration about high costs in the behemoth healthcare sector. Some areas have set up hotlines for phoning in tips about corruption in the sector, according to state media. At least one state media report has described the campaign as “unprecedented in the depth, breadth and intensity” of targeting the healthcare sector. Despite wide health insurance coverage, absolute costs of healthcare can be a heavy burden for many in China. “Given the economic slowdown and the shrinking fiscal revenue, the debt-ridden local governments really don’t have the capabilities to invest more in the medical sector and corruption continues to be an issue,” said Huang.

Persons: That’s, Xi Jinping, Ren Jianming, Yanzhong Huang, ”, Huang, Jade Gao, Xi Chen, ” Chen, Winning Health Technology Group’s, Zhou Wei, Sun Ningling, ” “ Organizations: CNN, behemoth, Communist Party, China News Service, Center for Integrity Research, Education, China’s Beihang University, Publishing, Council, Foreign Relations, Getty Images, Yale School of Public Health, Getty, Health Commission, NHC, Central Commission, CSI, Reuters, Shanghai Serum, Winning Health Technology, Peking University People’s Hospital Locations: China, Yunnan, Shanghai, Beijing, Zhejiang, United States, New York, AFP, Guangzhou, Shenzhen

☆ China fails to release cremation data from late 2022 when its Covid-19 outbreak raged
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

A review of the past 10 years of ministry data shows the annual figure of cremations was consistently included in the fourth quarter data report – until now. China has faced criticism of its data transparency throughout the pandemic, including how it counts Covid-19 deaths. In January, a top WHO official accused China of “under-representing” the severity of its Covid outbreak, and repeated the agency’s critique of Beijing’s “narrow” definition of what constitutes a Covid death. At that time, Chinese health officials only listed those Covid patients who succumbed with respiratory failure and pneumonia as having died of Covid. It’s not clear if China plans to release the national data on cremations at a later date.

Persons: cremations, Yanzhong Huang, Covid, ” Huang, Hector Retamal, China’s, “, bode, It’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, Council, Foreign Relations, Ministry, Civil Affairs, CNN, Getty, WHO, Covid, World Health Organization Locations: Hong Kong, China, New York, Shanghai, AFP, Wuhan, Communist, “

☆ China Drops Covid P.C.R. Test Rule for Inbound Travelers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Vivian Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The United States and China have not yet lifted tit-for-tat caps that they imposed on routes between their two countries during the pandemic. In January, as the coronavirus spread widely across China, several countries, including the United States, Japan and South Korea, announced mandatory tests for inbound travelers from China. (South Korea had also suspended some visas for Chinese travelers.) The United States, Japan and South Korea no longer require any predeparture tests for travelers arriving from China, but China had not changed its rule until Tuesday. Travelers from other countries to China, meanwhile, had been allowed to take antigen tests.

☆ In COVID China, a hospital bed can hinge on who you know, red packets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Engen Tham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

After hours of frantic calls, Steven was taken to a packed hospital and given oxygen and a bed in a children’s ward. If you know the head of the hospital, then there won’t be trouble getting a bed," a Shanghai doctor said. Although China has tried to crack down on doctor bribery, the regulatory focus has been on payments from pharmaceutical companies rather than patients. Doctors and experts said the use of red packets and "guanxi", or connections, to gain access persists. "Many of those rural patients, COVID patients, that had severe symptoms would choose not to proactively seek care; instead they just die at home," Huang said.

If doctors believe that the death was caused solely by COVID-19 pneumonia, they must report to their superiors, who will arrange for two levels of "expert consultations" before a COVID death is confirmed, it said. "We have stopped classifying COVID deaths since the reopening in December," said a doctor at a large public hospital in Shanghai. Three other doctors at public hospitals in different cities said they were unaware of any such guidance. Before Saturday, China was reporting five or fewer COVID deaths per day. But the hospital told him it had run out of medicine, so they could only go home.

☆ China reports huge rise in Covid deaths after WHO criticized Beijing for heavily undercounting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The World Health Organization said this week that China was heavily under-reporting deaths from COVID, although it was now providing more information on its outbreak. China, which last reported daily COVID death figures on Monday, has repeatedly defended the veracity of its data on the disease. On Saturday, Jiao said China divides COVID-related deaths between those from respiratory failure due to coronavirus infection and those from underlying disease combined with coronavirus infection. Last month, a Chinese health expert at a government news conference said only deaths caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure after contracting COVID would be classified as COVID deaths. However, he said, it was unclear whether the new data accurately reflects actual fatalities because doctors are discouraged from reporting COVID-related deaths and the numbers include only deaths in hospitals.

"More fundamental, and more subtle and more important is the social contract and social trust in China. COVID CZAROver the past three years, Vice Premier Sun, 72, has been the face of China's COVID fight, a mother-like figure who has executed Xi's zero-COVID policy with a firm hand. In April this year, Sun rushed to Shanghai as the city went under lockdown, according to state media reports. During the Shanghai lockdown, while also on an inspection tour, Sun was bombarded by pleas from residents shouting from their windows: "No more rice! How the current infections are tackled remain a key near-term challenge to COVID czars.

☆ The Reckoning Ahead for China’s Zero-Covid Policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Yanzhong Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A worker manages the door to a fever clinic in Beijing as Covid cases soar following the relaxation of restrictions, Dec. 14. The Chinese government is still reluctant to admit it, but the 10-point plan that Beijing released on Dec. 7 signaled a turnabout: China’s notorious zero-Covid policy has come to an end. Local governments responded in no time by rolling back mass PCR testing, shutting down quarantine centers and easing restrictions on domestic travel. Just the month before, those same local governments were busy enforcing some of the world’s most stringent and prolonged lockdown measures in pursuit of “societal zero Covid,” meaning that cases were to be found in quarantined or controlled areas only.

[1/2] People line up at a makeshift fever clinic set up inside a stadium, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China December 19, 2022. "We stand ready to help any country in the world with vaccines, treatments, anything else that we can be helpful with," he said. "We want China to get COVID right," Blinken said earlier this month. “China faces a very challenging system in reopening,” Powell said, adding that its manufacturing, exporting and supply chain remain critical. Officials set up health centers and apps that told people with symptoms how to avoid infecting others, he said.

☆ China reports first Covid deaths in weeks as virus surges through Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Some fear China’s Covid death toll could rise above 1.5 million in coming months. It was not immediately clear which, if any, of these deaths were included in official death tolls. “The (official) number is clearly an undercount of Covid deaths,” said Yanzhong Huang, a global health specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a U.S. think tank. Overseas-developed vaccines are unavailable in mainland China to the general public, which has relied on inactivated shots by local manufacturers for its vaccine rollout. While China’s medical community in general doesn’t doubt the safety of China’s vaccines, some say questions remain over their efficacy compared to foreign-made mRNA counterparts.

According to the group's projections, cases in China would peak around April 1, when deaths would reach 322,000. About a third of China's population will have been infected by then, IHME Director Christopher Murray said. China's national health authority has not reported any official COVID deaths since the lifting of COVID restrictions. Based on China's population of 1.41 billion, and without measures such as a mass vaccination booster campaign, that amounts to 964,400 deaths. China's National Health Commission said on Friday it was ramping up vaccinations and building stocks of ventilators and essential drugs.

☆ In COVID U-turn, China's message to the people shifts from war to self-care
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last week, in one fell swoop, China cut away most of the tenets governing its stifling zero-COVID policies, effectively ending its war on the pandemic. "Be the first person responsible for the epidemic", it has said, which is emerging as China's new public health slogan. So far, China's official COVID death toll remains unchanged at 5,235 since the domestic epidemic curbs were removed. The suddenness of the policy shift has not yet been explained to the public, except that Omicron has weakened. But Beijing resident Charlie Zhang, 42, said he was not enthused about the recent dramatic changes in COVID policies, believing it would be hard for the elderly to recover from Omicron.

☆ As China moves away from zero-Covid, health experts warn of dark days ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Across the country, however, some parts of residential communities and buildings designated high risk by authorities are still locked down. A QR code for Covid-19 contact tracing displayed at the entrance to a subway station in Shanghai, China, on Monday. Top health officials on November 28 announced a new plan to bolster elderly vaccination rates, but such measures will take time, as will other preparations for a surge. Minimizing the worst outcomes in a transition out of zero-Covid depends on that preparation, according to Cowling. From that perspective, he said, “it doesn’t look like it would be a good time to relax the policies.”

☆ China Covid restrictions: Protesters win a partial victory as cities start to loosen controls
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Following protests nationwide, some local Chinese authorities have started to ease Covid restrictions – in what appears to be a shift toward gradual reopening as the country nears entering the fourth year of the pandemic. “I feel like everyone’s hard work is paying off,” said a protester who took part in a demonstration in Beijing. “Policy flip-flop is common.”In some cities, the partial relaxation has caused confusion and chaos on the ground. In Beijing, public venues such as shopping malls and office buildings still require a 48-hour negative Covid test for entry. I don’t celebrate, I just remember those brave friends with gratitude,” a Beijing resident posted on Weibo, in a reference to the protesters.

☆ China's people are protesting the country's severe zero-COVID policies, and public-health experts agree with them
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Protests are erupting across China over the country's restrictive zero-COVID policies. Public-health experts say the policies are unsustainable, ineffective, and unnecessarily severe. Without vaccination campaigns targeting older adults, China's lockdowns may only delay a catastrophic COVID wave. Tyrone Siu/ReutersThere is no easy way forward for China, but constant 2020-style lockdowns are not the solution, according to public-health experts, who called the policies unsustainable, ineffective, and irrational. As a result, Huang thinks the zero-COVID lockdowns are completely unwarranted.

☆ Analysis: For China's COVID policy, change comes in small increments
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Tony Munroe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Authorities are making changes such as more precisely targeting lockdowns, rolling out new vaccines and adding international flights. Daily infections, though extremely low by international standards, are hitting six-month highs, while officials repeatedly reaffirm the zero-COVID policy that President Xi Jinping argues saves lives. Still, Huang does not expect fundamental change in China's COVID policy anytime soon. "COVID is not scary, it is preventable and treatable," the city's health authority told residents. China recently began rolling out what is believed to be the world's first inhalable COVID vaccine, which could help in reducing vaccine hesitancy that is especially widespread among older Chinese.

☆ China is caught in a zero-Covid trap of its own making
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The new political ecology also provided more incentive for local governments to impose more draconian Covid control measures,” Huang said. Chinese health officials maintain that changing tack now would risk a huge surge in infections and deaths that could overwhelm the country’s fragile health care system. Zhengzhou, a city of 12 million, imposed sweeping lockdown measures last month after identifying dozens of Covid-19 cases. On Wednesday, the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, where the Foxconn plant is located, announced new lockdown measures. As the winter approaches, experts warn that China could be hit by a new wave of infections – and a new cycle of draconian lockdowns.

☆ Un oficial chinez recunoaște că vaccinurile produse de Beijing nu sunt eficiente; Declarațiile au fost rapid cenzurate
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-11 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +2 min

Sursa foto: ProfimediaUn oficial chinez recunoaște că vaccinurile produse de Beijing nu sunt eficiente; Declarațiile au fost rapid cenzurateCentrul de control al bolilor din China ia în calcul amestecul vaccinurilor și modificarea secvenței dozelor pentru a spori eficacitatea. Gao Fu, șeful CDC, a declarat public că agenția se gândea cum să rezolve problema eficacității scăzute a vaccinurilor existente, potrivit presei locale. Gao a propus amestecarea diferitelor vaccinuri, precum și modificarea secvenței de doze - schimbarea numărului și cantității de doze și a intervalului dintre ele. Unele dintre postările de pe rețelele de socializare WeChat despre remarcile lui Gao au fost rapid cenzurate. China a administrat doze de 65 de milioane de doze în toată țara până la mijlocul lunii martie.

Persons: Gao Fu, Gao, senior Organizations: Financial Times, Mediafax Locations: Beijing, China, Chengdu

☆ Dosarul Wuhan. Focarele de gripă din China și posibila legătură cu pandemia COVID-19
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-01 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +4 min

Creșterea, care a avut loc în săptămâna care a început pe 2 decembrie, a fost de aproximativ 2.059% față de aceeași săptămână a anului precedent, potrivit datelor documentelor. Wuhan a fost al treilea cel mai grav afectat, cu 2.032 de cazuri noi în acea săptămână. „Acei oameni mergeau să se trateze în spitale, crescând șansele de infectare cu COVID acolo”, a spus el. Guvernul chinez a spus că pandemia a pornit din piața de pește Huanan din Wuhan, unde era vândută carne de animale sălbatice exotice. „Această mare creștere înseamnă că trebuie să se fi întâmplat ceva”, a spus el.

Persons: CNN, ro ., Wuhan, Hopkins, El, pandemia, Andrew Mertha, Universitatea Johns Hopkins Organizations: CNN, Siguranța Sănătății, Nature, Universitatea Johns Locations: Wuhan, Hubei, China

☆ Dosarul Wuhan: O scurgere de documente dezvăluie haosul din China în primele etape ale Covid-19 / CNN
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-01 | by ( ) www.zdg.md time to read: +8 min

Wuhan – epicentrul focarului de coronavirus, a fost a treia regiune ce mai afectată de gripă. Documente confidențiale obținute de CNN arată că autoritățile din China au raportat un număr mai mic de cazuri decât cel real. Potrivit CNN, documentele secrete arată și descrie haosul care domnea în Wuhan la începutul pandemiei. Cu toate acestea, CNN dezvăluie acum modul în care documentele oficiale circulate intern arată că aceasta a fost doar o parte din situația reală din China. Însă, până acum, accesul experților internaționali la înregistrările mediale ale spitalelor și la datele brute din Hubei a fost limitat.

Persons: CNN, Xi, OMS Organizations: CNN, Albă, Externe, Națională, Uniunii Europene, Organizației Mondiale a Sănătății Locations: Hubei, China, Wuhan, Beijing, Chinei, Statele Unite, Yichang, SUA

☆ Ce dezvăluie o scurgere de documente despre haosul din China, la izbucnirea pandemiei
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-01 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +4 min

Autoritățile din China au raportat un număr mai mic de cazuri decât cel real, potrivit unor documente confidențiale obținute de CNN. Acestea arată și haosul care domnea în Wuhan la începutul pandemiei, transmite digi24.ro. Această cifră mai mare nu a fost dezvăluită public, deoarece sistemul de contabilizare al Chinei părea, în tumultul primelor săptămâni ale pandemiei, să minimizeze severitatea focarului. Luate împreună, documentele reprezintă cea mai semnificativă scurgere de informații din interiorul Chinei de la începutul pandemiei și oferă prima privire clară asupra datelor pe care le aveau oficialii chinezi. În mai multe momente critice de la începutul pandemiei, documentele arată pași greșiți și eșecuri instituționale.

Persons: CNN ., China, CNN Organizations: CNN, Externe, Națională Locations: China, Wuhan, Chinei, Hubei, Statele Unite

Această cifră mai mare nu a fost dezvăluită public, deoarece sistemul de contabilizare al Chinei părea, în tumultul primelor săptămâni ale pandemiei, să minimizeze severitatea focarului. Acest raport face parte din 117 pagini de documente scurse de la Centrul Provincial Hubei pentru Controlul și Prevenirea Bolilor, obțiute și verificate de CNN. Luate împreună, documentele reprezintă cea mai semnificativă scurgere de informații din interiorul Chinei de la începutul pandemiei și oferă prima privire clară asupra datelor pe care le aveau oficialii chinezi. În mai multe momente critice de la începutul pandemiei, documentele arată pași greșiți și eșecuri instituționale. A furnizat informații despre Covid-19 într-un mod complet profesional și eficient.

Persons: China, CNN Organizations: CNN, Externe, Națională Locations: Chinei, Hubei, Statele Unite, China

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