China is rushing to install hospital beds across cities and build fever screening amid increasing cases of Covid-19. In an unusual move, last month, the nation began dismantling its stringent "zero-Covid" regime of mass lockdowns. China, last month saw protests against curbs and mass testing. The zero-Covid policy is what helped keep the virus away for three years. The measures, however, had major effects on the world's second-largest economy.
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.
“We know that any time the virus is spreading, that it is in the wild, that it has the potential to mutate and to pose a threat to people everywhere. We’ve seen that over the course of many different permutations of this virus and certainly another reason why we are so focused on helping countries around the world address COVID, another reason why bringing this to a close in China would be beneficial," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told Reuters.
Since the virus was first reported in Wuhan in 2019, China has reported 5,242 Covid-related deaths. Since December 7 when China decided to withdraw measures related to the zero-Covid policy, hospitals have become inundated, pharmacies have been running out of medicines and streets have been unusually quiet as residents stay home, either sick or wary of catching the disease, according to a Reuters report. As per experts, at least 2 million people could lose their lives to the virus.
