Yesterday, Saturday, China recorded two new deaths and more than 31,000 new infections with the Corona virus, at a time when some quarantine measures were eased as a result of popular pressure against “zero Covid” measures, while the US intelligence said that the Chinese president was not ready to accept vaccines from the West despite the risks.
And the National Health Committee stated today that China recorded yesterday, Saturday, 31 thousand and 824 new infections with the Corona virus, of which 4213 showed symptoms and 27 thousand and 611 without symptoms, and China recorded the day before yesterday 33 thousand and 73 new infections, including 3988 with symptoms and 29 thousand and 85 without symptoms.
Excluding imported infections from abroad, China recorded 31,601 new local cases of coronavirus, of which 4,168 were symptomatic and 27,433 were asymptomatic, down from 32,827 the previous day.
Two new deaths were also recorded, bringing the total death toll to 5,235.
As of December 3, China had recorded 336,165 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Cases are witnessing a partial decline due to the small number of people undergoing tests, as a result of the easing of restrictions, the lack of group tests, and the easing of test requirements.
And local government data showed that the Chinese capital, Beijing, recorded 708 cases with symptoms and 2,486 without symptoms, compared to 708 cases with symptoms and 2,610 without symptoms the previous day.
In Shanghai, the financial center of China, the local health authority monitored 36 symptomatic and 450 asymptomatic cases, compared to 27 symptomatic and 264 asymptomatic cases the previous day.
Long lines of citizens near a residential complex in Beijing awaiting a corona examination (Reuters)
Rejection of Western vaccines
In another context, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said yesterday, Saturday, that Chinese President Xi Jinping is not ready to accept Western vaccines despite the challenges his country faces with Covid-19, and while the recent protests do not threaten the rule of the Communist Party, they may. affect his personal standing.
Although daily COVID-19 cases in China are near an all-time high, some cities are taking steps to relax testing and quarantine rules after President Xi's "zero Covid" policy caused a sharp economic slowdown and public unrest. .
In a speech at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California, Haines said that despite the social and economic impact of the virus, the Chinese president "is not willing to take a better vaccine from the West, and instead relies on a vaccine in China that is not nearly as effective against (strain) Omicron." .
"The protests and the response to them contradict the narrative that (Chinese President) likes to present, which is that China is more effective in managing state affairs," she added.
"Again, it's not about what we see as a threat to stability at this moment, regime change or anything like that," she said, adding that "how things develop will be important to Xi's status."
China has not approved any foreign coronavirus vaccines, opting for domestically produced ones, which some studies have indicated are not as effective as some foreign vaccines.
This means that easing virus prevention measures may come with great risks, according to experts.
The White House said a few days ago that China had not requested vaccines from the United States, and a US official told Reuters that "there are no expectations at the present time" that China will approve Western vaccines.