The number of COVID patients needing critical care in China's hospitals has peaked, health authorities said on Thursday (January 19), as millions traveled across the country for long-awaited reunions with families, raising fears of fresh outbreaks.
Infections are expected to surge in rural areas during the Lunar New Year holidays, which officially start on Saturday (January 21). But a National Health Commission official told a news conference on Thursday that China has passed the peak period of COVID patients with critical conditions.
The number of patients with critical conditions in the hospital was more than 40% lower on Jan. 17 than a peak seen on Jan. 5, the official said.
The fresh data comes after President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday (January 18) that he was particularly concerned about China's COVID-19 wave spreading to rural areas with poor medical facilities but he urged perseverance in stressful times, saying "light is ahead”.
In Jiangxi province, COVID-19 prevention kits that contain face masks and disinfectant were delivered to 35,000 rural households, while in Fuzhou city, over 400 clinics were set up in its rural area, with over 2,000 doctors working around the clock to provide medical services for local residents, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
In Nanjiang county of southwestern Sichuan province, the local government organized shuttle buses to pick up migrants returning from cities for the Lunar New Year holidays and send them home to minimize infections, according to CCTV.
Comments (0)