Hong Kong CNN — In the years before Covid, China was the world’s most important source of international travelers. Its 155 million tourists spent more than a quarter of a trillion dollars beyond its borders in 2019. That largesse fell precipitously over the past three years as the country essentially closed its borders. But, as … Read more
China’s state media played down the severity on January 3 of the COVID-19 wave surging over the country, with its scientists expected to give a briefing to the World Health Organization on the evolution of the virus later in the day. China’s abrupt U-turn on COVID controls on Dec. 7, as well as the accuracy … Read more
Hong Kong CNN — China’s economy grew at least 4.4% in 2022, according to leader Xi Jinping, a figure much stronger than many economists had expected. But the current Covid wave may hobble growth in the months ahead. China’s annual GDP is expected to have exceeded 120 trillion yuan ($17.4 trillion) last year, Xi said … Read more
According to the surveillance report, the city-wide wastewater positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 increased to 46% last week (ending December 24), albeit with a low viral load. Image for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: The Hindu photo library The weekly sewage surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in 28 STPs of Bengaluru, being jointly conducted by Tata Institute … Read more
New York CNN — China will drop quarantine requirements for all passengers arriving from outside of the country’s borders starting on January 8, 2023, its top health authority announced Monday. The country will also scrap all other restrictive Covid measures for travelers, including quarantines for positive patients and contact tracing. Authorities said the new policy … Read more
Tourists at the Taj Mahal on December 24, 2022. The health department in Agra has begun screening and collecting samples of foreign tourists at Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Akbar’s Tomb. | Photo Credit: PTI A 40-year-old man, who returned from China two days back, has tested positive for COVID-19 following which he has been … Read more
New Delhi CNN — India’s health minister has advised the public to take precautions against Covid-19, including getting vaccinated and wearing masks, as the country remains on alert for potential new variants that could emerge from the wave of infections sweeping neighboring China. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday told Parliament that India would begin … Read more
Medical workers in protective gear escort an elderly patient on a wheelchair followed by family members as they leave a fever clinic at a hospital in Beijing on Monday. | Photo Credit: AP China only counts deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official COVID-19 death toll, a Chinese health official said, in a … Read more
Washington: The number of Covid-19 cases registered in the US since the start of the pandemic in early 2020 exceeded a staggering 100 million, Johns Hopkins University has said, amid a sharp spike in caseloads globally and the WHO making a strong pitch for vaccination. Japan, the US, the Republic of Korea, Brazil and China … Read more
Hong Kong CNN — The sprawling Chinese metropolis of Chongqing announced Sunday that public sector employees testing positive for Covid-19 can go to work “as normal,” a remarkable turnaround for a city that only weeks ago had been in the throes of a mass lockdown. The move comes as China continues to quickly unravel its … Read more