China's National Health Commission (NHC) has reportedly decided to stop publishing daily Covid-19 data amid reports that about 248 million people around the country were affected by the Covid surge between December 1 and 20.
A report that appeared in China's mouthpiece Global Times said "relevant Covid information will be published by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for reference and research." However, it did not give any explanation as to why the decision was taken.
There is no detail about how frequently China CDC will update COVID information.
This comes amid concerns about the lack of proper data about infection in China. Last week, the World Health Organisation (WJO) too had expressed disappointment over the unavailability of proper data from China since Beijing repealed its controversial zero-COVID policy.
After the restrictions and curbs were eased, the WHO stopped receiving data from China, which the organisation believe is due to the authorities struggling to tally cases.
Despite reports about the mammoth surge which has overwhelmed China's healthcare system, the NHC has reported no Covid deaths nationwide for four consecutive days before halting the data release.
Amid this, China had altered its policy counting only deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure as COVID-19 deaths. Deaths that occur in patients with pre-existing illnesses are not counted as Covid deaths, a move that can downplay the seriousness of the outbreak as the virus surges ahead in the country.
However, Britain-based health data firm Airfinity last week estimated China was experiencing more than a million infections and 5,000 deaths a day.
Leaked data
Meanwhile, a leaked document purportedly from China's National Health Commission suggested that about 248 million people around the country, roughly 17.56 per cent of the total population, were affected by the Covid surge between December 1 and 20, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper reported.
Health officials in two Chinese cities reported lakhs of cases every day.
In Qingdao city in the eastern province of Shandong, about 490,000-530,000 people are becoming infected each day, according to Bo Tao, the head of the city's health commission.
Bo said on Friday that the numbers were based on monitoring data and were expected to rise by 10 per cent on Saturday and Sunday.
He added that the city was experiencing rapid transmission before the peak.
The city's health commission in Dongguan in the southern province of Guangdong said on Friday that between 250,000 and 300,000 people were being infected each day, the Post reported.
It said the growth rate based on computer modelling was rising and many medical institutions and staff are facing unprecedented severe challenges and huge pressure.
The commission also said that as of Thursday 2,528 medical staff in the city's public hospitals and welfare system were working, despite having a fever or testing positive for Covid.
(With inputs from PTI)
