China’s failure to release cremation data from late 2022 is a concerning development that raises questions about the true impact of the country’s Covid-19 outbreak.
The omission of this key indicator of fatalities from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs is just the latest in a series of data transparency issues that have plagued China’s handling of the pandemic.
The lack of comprehensive data on Covid-19 deaths in China makes it difficult to assess the true scale of the pandemic in the country.
This is a serious problem, as it makes it difficult to plan and implement effective public health measures. It also undermines public trust in the government’s ability to manage the pandemic.
The Guardian report on the issue said: “Experts have said the country’s official data on deaths likely significantly underestimates how many people succumbed to the virus during that time, which Chinese officials have since claimed as part of their “major and decisive victory” over the pandemic.
“In reality, the outbreak overwhelmed crematoriums, packed hospitals and left people scrambling for scarce medicines, exposing the government’s lack of preparation for its policy U-turn, which followed rising economic costs and unprecedented public protests against its far-reaching controls”.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs did not respond to a CNN request for comment on the omission.
Since the early days of the pandemic, Chinese officials have claimed a low death rate comparable to other places in the world, which they argued showed the success of China’s approach to Covid-19.
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While the rest of the world was hit by Covid before the advent of vaccines, China’s tight border controls kept the virus largely at bay after its initial outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, until more transmissible variants made that policy increasingly unsustainable and damaging.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 continues to cause havoc for New Zealand traveller and accounts for hundreds of claims, according to a major travel insurer.
The New Zealand Herald report said: “Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) said the virus continues to be a primary reason Kiwis and Australian customers claim on their policies.
According to the company Covid-19 may feel less prevalent but this was not the case.
“It might seem increasingly uncommon for friends, family, and colleagues to be coming down with Covid-19, but the virus is well and truly circulating,” it said in a statement to Herald Travel.
As a result, the company said Covid-19 continued to disrupt travel plans for Kiwis and Australians.
Southern Cross Travel policies have included Covid-19 coverage since 2020. However, CEO Jo McCauley said it was still a crucial inclusion for many travellers.
“Covid continues to be one of the main reasons our customers claim, and it looks like it’s going to affect travellers for some time to come,” she said.
