China’s Health Ministry says Covid data is transparent

Beijing [China], January 1 (ANI): China's health ministry insisted that the Covid-19 information and the case figures are transparent, Xinhua reported.
"China has always been publishing information on COVID-19 deaths and severe cases in the spirit of openness and transparency," Jiao Yahui, head of the Bureau of Medical Administration under the National Health Commission, said at a press briefing held on Thursday.
In the press conference, she noted that the criteria for judging Covid-19 deaths are divided into two categories.
Jiao said that some countries count only cases of people with positive nucleic acid test results after getting infected with the novel coronavirus and dying of respiratory failure induced by the virus, according to Xinhua.
While, some other countries, including all deaths within 28 days of positive COVID-19 tests. This means their toll could even include those who committed suicide or died in car accidents after contracting the virus.
"Since 2020, the COVID-19 death criterion we are adopting in China has been the first kind," Jiao explained, saying that China counts a death from respiratory failure caused by the novel coronavirus after a positive COVID-19 test as a COVID-19 death.
This comes after the meeting with World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus where he asked for specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation in China, according to the statement released by the WHO website.
In the high-level meeting, WHO asked for more genetic sequencing data, data on disease impact including hospitalisations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths -- and data on vaccinations delivered and vaccination status, especially in vulnerable people and those over 60 years old.
WHO reiterated the importance of vaccination and boosters to protect against severe disease and death for people at higher risk.
China's National Health Commission and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration briefed WHO on China's evolving strategy and actions in the areas of epidemiology, monitoring of variants, vaccination, clinical care, communication and R&D.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, France, India, the United States and Japan imposed new Covid-19 measures on travellers from China.
In November, China saw a record increase in local COVID-19 outbreaks. Due to the deterioration of the epidemiological situation, the authorities introduced partial lockdowns in some areas while also forcing their residents to undergo PCR testing on a daily basis.
In particular, starting from November 24, restrictive measures were tightened in a number of China's major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. (ANI)