Covid deaths have been reported in China for the first time in six months, and officials have warned that the situation in the capital is at its worst point since the outbreak began.
Since Saturday, three fatalities have been confirmed in Beijing, bringing the total number of fatalities in the nation to 5,229.
The killings take place while China’s “zero-Covid policy” ignites sporadic demonstrations.
The contentious policy resulted in the forced isolation of positive citizens and the lockdown of millions of people.
Three million people have been told to stay at home in Beijing, where authorities have already imposed a lockdown in the Haidian district of the city.
The first three days of the trip to the capital will also require those
According to BBC News, Beijing – a city of more than 21 million – reported 316 new Covid cases to 15:00 on Monday, according to Reuters news agency. Amongst the three deaths reported since Sunday afternoon was an 87-year-old man.
Liu Xiaofeng – the deputy director of Beijing’s municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention – described the situation as the most complex and severe yet seen in the city, the news agency added.
While China says its strict zero-Covid policy means that it has seen far fewer coronavirus deaths than much of the rest of the world – although it is thought the true figure could be far higher – there have been repeated stories of delayed emergency treatment for seriously ill people in locked-down areas or quarantine facilities.
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