China mainland on Friday reported 2,157 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases…reports Asian Lite News
Amid worsening coronavirus situation in China, country’s Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Saturday said that there was a need to fully implement COVID-19 response measures in a timely manner to curb the spread of the virus.
During a national teleconference, Sun who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee noted the complex, arduous and enduring nature of covid situation, according to Xinhua News Agency.
He also called for rigorous steps to be taken at port areas as a matter of priority to prevent imported cases.
Meanwhile, Xinhua quoting Chinese health official reported that nearly 1.24 billion people across the Chinese mainland had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, a Chinese health official said Saturday.
Mi Feng, the spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), released the data at a press conference, adding that close to 3.22 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered on the mainland.
China mainland on Friday reported 2,157 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.
Earlier, a video surfaced showing hundreds of people standing in queues to get tested for the virus in the Southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
The video purportedly from the locality of Shajing in Shenzhen also showed dozens of ambulances that were claimed to be transporting COVID-19 patients from the city to makeshift isolation centres.
Shenzhen officials had earlier imposed a lockdown for one week.
Fears in Hong Kong
As Hong Kong surpassed one million Covid-19 cases since 2020, some are afraid that the government’s failure to get the virus under control has accelerated Beijing’s authority over the “semiautonomous Chinese territory,” reported media.
Since the outbreak began in Hong Kong, Chinese authorities donated their traditional Chinese medicines, protective medical gear, Chinese epidemiologists were sent to advise health officials, over a thousand technicians and health care workers have been dispatched for testing and patient care, The New York Times reported.
To supply the equipment and manpower smoothly, Chinese authorities established a temporary bridge and also sent dozens of workers to construct the temporary government quarantine facilities and makeshift hospitals.
Most of Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing politicians quickly thanked “the motherland” for its assistance.
Meanwhile, some people see China’s help as their hidden intention of taking control of the city. “The Hong Kong people are very unhappy about Carrie Lam and the government because their incompetence has given the central government an excuse to step in and take more control,” political scientist at Hong Kong Baptist University, Jean-Pierre Cabestan was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
Hong Kong’s government’s failure to control the virus led to the surge in the Covid-19 counts.
As of Friday, the city reported 20,082 new COVID-19 infections were reported in the city on Friday, of which 12,116 were identified through rapid tests, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported.
While, 996,862 COVID-19 infections and 5,136 Covid deaths were reported on Thursday, according to Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
Chuang Shuk-Kwan, the head of the CHP’s Communicable Disease Branch, during the press briefing on Thursday said that over the past week, the number of daily cases had gone “up and down” around 30,000 and authorities needed to observe the statistics for a few more days before a conclusion could be drawn. (ANI)