China: 90% Of People In Third Most Populous Henan Province Infected with Covid, Says Local Health Official

The province with a population of 99.4 million, the figures suggest about 88.5 million people in Henan may now have been infected.

The province with a population of 99.4 million, the figures suggest about 88.5 million people in Henan may now have been infected.

Around 90 per cent of the population in China’s third-most populous province Henan has been infected with Covid-19, according to a top official on Monday. “As of January 6, 2023, the province’s Covid infection rate is 89 per cent”, said Kan Quancheng, director of the health commission for central Henan province at a press conference, reported news agency AFP.

The province with a population of 99.4 million, the figures suggest about 88.5 million people in Henan may now have been infected. The official noted that visits to fever clinics peaked on December 19 after which a continuous downward trend was observed.

The massive surge in cases comes amid China’s decision last month to lift lockdowns, quarantines, and mass testing that had battered the economy and triggered nationwide protests.        

Beijing on Sunday lifted mandatory quarantine for all international travellers and opened its border with the semi-autonomous southern city of Hong Kong.

However, infections are expected to surge as the country goes into celebration mode with Lunar New Year later this month and millions are expected to travel from big cities in a bid to visit vulnerable older relatives in the countryside.

In the first wave of pre-holiday travel, official data showed 34.7 million people traveled domestically on Saturday — up by more than a third compared to last year, according to state media.

Last week, the official data said around 120,000 people have been infected and 30 died since China relaxed its restrictions in early December. The figure is no longer reflective of the true scale of the outbreak given that Beijing had narrowed the definition of Covid deaths and has declared that mass testing is no longer compulsory.