SHANGHAI (dpa-AFX) – Due to the massive coronavirus outbreak in China, primary and secondary schools as well as kindergartens and day care centers in Shanghai have been closed again since Monday. Students are taking lessons online, as announced by the education authorities of the port metropolis. High school students, on the other hand, can choose whether to continue school or study from home.
Epidemiologists predict that three waves of infection will sweep through the most populous country on earth by mid-March. The current first wave will last until mid-January and will mainly affect urban areas, health department chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou said, according to state media.
The expert predicts the second wave by mid-February with travel time around the Chinese New Year on January 22, when many millions of Chinese traditionally travel to their home villages. As travelers return, the third wave can be expected from late February to mid-March, said Wu Zunyou.
After the number of infections exploded two weeks ago, China has lifted its strict zero-Covid strategy and ended many measures such as lockdowns, forced quarantines and mass testing. The abrupt about-face was justified by the fact that the new variants of Omicron are less pathogenic. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the control measures adopted up to that point have proved less and less effective.
Hospitals are experiencing a rush. People are getting sick in droves. Many shops, restaurants or businesses in Beijing are closed because there are no employees. There are no official figures. The authorities are urging people not to go to hospitals and to treat the disease at home if possible.
The Health Commission reported just two Covid deaths on Monday. According to foreign press reports, however, crematoriums in Beijing have seen a sharp increase in the number of deaths, in some cases four to five times higher than usual.
