In December of 2019 Dr. Li Wenliang from Wuhan posted a message about the outbreak of the coronavirus on a physicians forum trying to warn his fellow doctors about what was to come. Three days later Dr. Li was paid a visit by the police and was told to stop posting such information. With that, the government of China began its cover-up of how wide spread and contagious the virous was. Dr. Li Wenliang died in February of 2020 following being infected by a patient.
Now, more than 3 years of zero covid and cover-ups they announced that 60,000 people had died from the virous snice December.
Those numbers may still underestimate the toll, though the government said the “emergency peak" of its latest surge appears to have passed.
The toll included 5,503 deaths due to respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 and 54,435 fatalities from other ailments combined with COVID-19 since Dec. 8, the National Health Commission announced. It said those “deaths related to COVID” occurred in hospitals, which means anyone who died at home would not be included in the numbers.
In Pictures: Protests widen to China's big cities
Unlike other countries, which have accepted they will have to live with the disease to a certain extent, China is following a policy it calls "dynamic zero" - taking dynamic action wherever Covid-19 flares up in order to eradicate it.
China's government argues that this policy saves lives, because uncontrolled outbreaks would put many vulnerable people at risk, such as the elderly.
Strict lockdowns mean China's death toll has stayed low ever since the start of the pandemic - the official figure is now just over 5,200.
Protests have erupted in Guangzhou, China in response to the country's strict zero-Covid policy.
The city's Haizhu District is in under a strict stay-at-home order amid the worst coronavirus outbreak in the city since the pandemic began.
Protesters overturned a police car and tore down Covid control barriers.
More Absurd propaganda coming out of China cannot whitewash the reality that food is getting scarce!
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has lost his last-ditch court bid to stay in Australia and is set to be deported.
The Federal Court upheld a government decision to cancel the unvaccinated Serbian player's visa.
The government argued the 34-year-old posed a threat to public health.
Djokovic is now unable to defend his Australian Open title in Melbourne. He was due to play his first match on Monday.
During Sunday's court hearing before a three-judge panel, Djokovic's defence unsuccessfully argued that the grounds given by the government were "invalid and illogical".
Djokovic has been staying at an immigration detention hotel in Melbourne, the same place he was taken after his visa was first revoked following his arrival on 6 January.
The world number one made it onto a tennis court in Melbourne, after a judge ruled against the Australian government's decision to cancel his visa - but he could still be deported.
What's coming up for Africa in 2022? From jobs to climate change to politics, what does this year holds for Africa. For one, the pandemic is still with us and the vast majority of people in Africa are yet to be vaccinated. According to the Africa CDC, less than 10 percent of people on the continent have received the jab.
