Covid: Chinese data does not reflect epidemic recovery, says WHO
Dr Michael Ryan, WHO Health Emergencies Officer.
AP - Martial Trezzini
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
China vastly underestimates the number of Covid deaths in China.
The criticism comes from the WHO.
And it's new enough to point it out.
Yesterday accused of complacency with regard to Beijing, the agency no longer hesitates to say that the figures transmitted by the Chinese authorities do not stick.
Consequence: while Beijing threatens countries that take health measures against Chinese travelers with reprisals, the WHO approves the measure.
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With our correspondence in Geneva
,
Jérémie Lanche
Unacceptable.
This is what Beijing says when it comes to the Covid tests imposed on travelers from China.
Normal, replies the WHO.
The United Nations agency believes that if the measure is not necessarily relevant from a health point of view, it is understandable.
Because China is not playing the game of transparency by refusing to share data from the current Covid outbreak.
Mike Ryan is the director of emergency operations at the WHO explains: “
Forcing people to test themselves does not prevent travel.
It is not an excessive measure.
Remember: China has had a very strict policy for anyone who wanted to enter the country for the past 3 years.
The reality is that a lot of countries feel they don't have enough information about what's going on in China, so they're taking precautionary measures by testing travelers
."
The meeting, this Tuesday, January 3, between Chinese scientists and members of the WHO did not change much.
We just learned that the variants circulating in China are the same for the moment.
But no new figures on admissions to intensive care.
Or the deaths.
In any case, reliable figures.
“
We believe that the current figures published by China under-represent the true impact of the disease
,” said Mike Ryan.
A diplomatic way, once again, of saying that Beijing is lying on the subject.
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