Reports are spreading fear in China that Covid is catching on quickly. Corpses are piling up in cemeteries across the country and there is no place to store the bodies in morgues, AFP news agency said.
In crematoria, employees work overtime to bury corpses. Yesterday, the Chinese government eased strict Covid restrictions. Subsequently, there has been a significant increase in Covid cases. The departments concerned say it is impossible to record the increase in the number of Covid cases and deaths. Following the protests, the government eased quarantine rules and mass testing that had been going on for years.
The situation is serious in the North-East and South-West regions. AFP reported that a Chongqing crematorium worker revealed that he is running out of space to store the bodies. He said the region’s three million people will work despite having minor symptoms.
Things are similar in the country’s southern city of Guangzhou. A crematorium employee here revealed that more than 30 bodies are cremated a day. Corpses also arrive here from nearby neighborhoods. In the northeastern city of Shenyang, bodies were left in many places.
Seven people died in Beijing in two days. 2,722 new cases of Covid were reported in China on Monday. Health department officials have advised that the BA5.2 and BF7 omicron variants are currently spreading in Chinese cities. The BF7 variant is gaining ground in Beijing. It is estimated that over 70% of the population is infected with the virus.
China’s case count is inaccurate as it has halted public testing for two weeks. Now people are buying self-testing antigen kits. They are sold at exorbitant prices on the black market. Adding to the concern is the fact that the elderly, who make up 14.2% of the Chinese population, are not vaccinated.
On Tuesday, China’s National Health Commission clarified that the official death toll will only include Covid patients who die of respiratory failure. The explanation follows media reports that more people have died from the disease. Those who die of a heart attack after contracting the disease are excluded. Deaths from Covid-19 will include those from pneumonia and respiratory ailments due to Covid-19.
