China Logs 2 COVID Deaths Since Ease In Curbs. But Actual Toll Could Be Higher, Suggest Reports

China reported its first fatalities since Zero COVID restrictions were eased earlier this month.

New Delhi: China reported two new COVID-19 deaths on Sunday taking the country's fatalities to 5,237, the National Health Commission said on Monday. Around 1,995 new symptomatic COVID-19 infections on Sunday compared with 2,097 a day earlier, according to news agency Reuters.

China reported 1,918 new local symptomatic cases, down from 2,028 a day earlier, excluding imported infections.

As of Sunday, mainland China had confirmed 380,453 cases with symptoms. Official figures are now an unreliable guide as less testing is being done across the country following the recent easing of zero-COVID policy.

China reported its first fatalities since Zero COVID restrictions were eased earlier this month, reported news agency Bloomberg. In total, the country has reported just 11 COVID deaths among its 1.4 billion people since November 19.

The two deaths are reported more than a month after China started seeing an exponential surge in COVID cases in contrast to the experience of other, more vaccinated and better-resourced places fueling concerns about the true scale of fatalities being hidden, reported news agency Bloomberg.

The withdrawal of the restrictions triggered a massive wave of infections, especially in Beijing, which has seen shortages of medicine, overwhelmed hospital staff, and empty streets as residents stay home sick or to avoid the virus.

The country reported its first death over the weekend since COVID Zero was dismantled earlier this month. So far, only 11 COVID deaths were reported among its 1.4 billion people since November 19, which was more than a week after the government’s first tentative steps toward loosening the virus policy, according to the report.

Beijing is witnessing a wave of fatalities with crematorium workers and relatives indicating at least tens of people have died infected with COVID, Bloomberg said based on the ground reporting.

It raises concerns over officials and hospitals likely attributing deaths from the virus to other ailments as outbreaks mushroom, even though the National Health Commission — which collates China’s virus data — told Bloomberg News last week that everyone who tests COVID positive at their death is classed as a virus fatality.

China’s COVID death toll is far lower than more vaccinated countries that went through reopening waves.