BEIJING: Almost 90 per cent of people in China’s third most populous province have now been infected with COVID-19, a top official said Monday (Jan 9), as the country battles an unprecedented surge in cases.
Kan Quancheng, director of the health commission for central Henan province, told a press conference that “as of January 6, 2023, the province’s COVID-19 infection rate is 89.0 per cent”.
With a population of 99.4 million, the figures suggest about 88.5 million people in Henan may now have been infected.
Visits to fever clinics peaked on Dec 19, Kan said, “after which it showed a continuous downward trend.”
China is battling a surge in cases following its decision last month to lift years of lockdowns, quarantines, and mass testing that had hammered its economy and sparked rare nationwide protests.
And Beijing is determined to press on with its reopening, on Sunday lifting mandatory quarantine for all international arrivals and opening its border with the semi-autonomous southern city of Hong Kong.
Source: CNA
