Reuters, Afp and Sputnik
Newspaper La Jornada
Monday, January 2, 2023, p. eleven
Wuhan. Thousands of Chinese took to the streets to mark the New Year as authorities and state media tried to reassure the public that the country-wide Covid-19 outbreak was under control and nearing its peak, while that Australia and Canada will ask travelers from China to test negative for covid.
In Wuhan, residents noted that anxiety about the impact of easing strict zero-Covid restrictions on living with the disease had subsided, at least for the young and healthy.
The abrupt u-turn in covid checks, as well as the accuracy of its case and mortality data, have come under increasing scrutiny. The rise in cases has raised new concerns about the health of the economy and in his first comments to the public since the policy change, President Xi Jinping in a New Year’s address called for more effort and unity as China enters a new stage
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The official death toll in China is 5,249; however, experts consider that the figure is much higher.