- WHO says China’s control measures did not stop COVID-19
- Countries should ask whether the right people are sufficiently vaccinated
- Open channels between China and WHO – Ryan
GENEVA, Dec 14 (Reuters) – COVID-19 infections were exploding in China long before the government’s decision to abandon its strict “zero-COVID” policy, a World Health Organization director said on Wednesday of Health, quashing suggestions that the sudden investment caused a spike. in cases
The comments from WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan came as he warned of the need to ramp up vaccinations in the world’s No.2 economy.
In a media briefing, he said the virus was spreading “intensively” in the nation long before restrictions were lifted.
“There’s a narrative at the moment that China lifted restrictions and suddenly the disease is out of control,” he said.
“The disease was spreading intensely because I think the control measures themselves were not stopping the disease. And I think China strategically decided that it was no longer the best option.”
Beijing began moving away from its “zero-Covid” policy this month after protests against economically damaging restrictions championed by President Xi Jinping.
The sudden easing of restrictions has led to long queues outside fever clinics in a worrying sign that a wave of infections is brewing, although official records of new cases have trended lower recently as that the authorities did the tests again.
In its most recent COVID report for the week to November 27, the WHO said China had reported increasing hospitalizations for four consecutive weeks.
“So the challenge that China and other countries still have is: are the people who need to be vaccinated, properly vaccinated, with the right vaccines and the right number of doses and when was the last time that these people got the vaccines,” Ryan said. .
WESTERN VACCINE
The joy in China that it complied with policy changes allowing people to live with the virus has quickly faded amid growing concerns about rising infections because the population lacks “herd immunity ” and has low vaccination rates among the elderly.
WHO senior epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said the UN agency was providing technical advice to China, and Ryan said channels were open.
Among the first major deals announced in which a Western drugmaker will supply China with COVID therapies, China Meheco Group Co Ltd ( 600056.SS ) said on Wednesday it would import and distribute Pfizer’s ( PFE. N) Paxlovid.
Earlier in the briefing, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “hopeful” that the pandemic, which has killed more than 6.6 million people since it emerged in Wuhan, China three years ago years, it is no longer considered a global emergency in the near future. course
Reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva; Written by Josephine Mason in London; Editing by Alison Williams, Raissa Kasolowsky, Alexandra Hudson
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