Many hospitals and funeral homes say they're being overwhelmed by a worsening COVID-19 outbreak in China, even as the government reports just a handful of new deaths from the virus.
Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia have already said they will require virus tests for visitors from China, and Japanese authorities have sharply restricted the number of flights to and from China.
U.S. officials are considering similar measures, with officials telling CBS News on Wednesday that concern is mounting over the rise in infections and the lack of transparent data from Beijing, which is making it increasingly difficult for public health officials to ensure that they'll be able to identify any potential new variants and take prompt measures to reduce the spread. The U.S. officials told CBS News that, along with international partners, Washington was considering"potential steps" that could be taken to monitor the rising cases in China, identify any potential new variants of concern that emerge there, and"to protect the American people." Among the new restrictions imposed by Japan, travelers from China entering the country and found to haveJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the new restrictions were temporary — spurred by an information void about the true state of the pandemic in China. Since dramatically reversing its years-old"zero-COVID" policy, which aimed to stamp out every case of the coronavirus, China has been lifting restrictions quickly. Authorities plan to remove all travel bans early next year — a move likely to trigger a flood of Chinese travelers abroad for the new year holiday after nearly three years of rolling lockdowns under the draconian zero-COVID approach. News that international inbound travelers won't have to go through quarantine, coupled with the lifting of a ban on passports being issued or renewed for Chinese nationals, have got people excited across the vast country. Within 15 minutes of the policy change being announced, searches for popular international destinations had increased 10-fold, with popular Chinese travel booking site Qunar reporting a seven-fold increase in international flight searches. But relief over the end of lockdowns in China has been tempered, and much of the nation is now in extreme distress. Some estimates suggest more than half of all residents in Beijing are currently infected with the virus.Dr. Howard Bernstein said the hospital where he works in Beijing has run out of beds and"is just overwhelmed from top to bottom. While Chinese officials say COVID has claimed only about 5,000 lives, recent scenes at funeral homes tell a grimmer story. The lines of coffins at one unidentified building in northern China this week seem endless. By at least one estimate, the explosion of cases in China, where many people remain unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, could kill 1 million people by the end of 2023, and it is also
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
China starts to open borders, sparking hope for ‘zero-covid’ shutoutsChina will relax its infamously strict coronavirus restrictions for entry into the country starting Jan. 8, according to a lengthy list of new policies issued Monday by its National Health Commission.
Read more »
Covid in China: People rush to book travel as borders finally reopenBut Chinese tourists will not have unfettered access to all countries - as some impose restrictions.
Read more »
U.S. listed Chinese stocks rise as China eases COVID-19 lockdown restrictionsShares of Alibaba Group and Baidu gain as China plans to end COVID-19 quarantines for foreigners as a way to stoke economic activity.
Read more »
Copper price hits 2-week high as China further eases covid curbsChina will stop requiring inbound travelers to go into quarantine starting from Jan. 8.
Read more »
After years with little covid, videos show China is now getting hit hardEmergency departments are overflowing, with patients sleeping in hallways until they can be evaluated or taken to a hospital room. In at least one hospital, half of doctors and nurses were absent because they had tested positive for covid.
Read more »
China-addicted luxury stocks cheer Beijing's looser COVID curbsShares in global luxury goods groups, which rely heavily on Chinese shoppers, rose on Tuesday after Beijing further relaxed some COVID restrictions that had been in place for the past three years, fuelling hopes of a full-blown reopening soon.
Read more »