The mandates signal the severity of the epidemic in China. At the same time, the regime continues to avoid admitting that this wave of “pneumonia,” which has been building up for three months, is likely another wave of COVID-19.
CCP’s Claims
According to a Dec. 13 report by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30, there were 135 new severe cases of COVID-19 infection and eight deaths across the whole of mainland China. By contrast, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported approximately 19,444 weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Nov. 25 and at least 957 deaths. While the two nations have different data definitions, the divergence has seen the international community criticize the CCP for its lack of transparency on COVID-19 cases.The CCP has been accused by the international community of seriously underreporting COVID-19-related data and covering up the scale of the outbreak in mainland China since the initial outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019. COVID-19 was originally called “Wuhan pneumonia” because of the disease’s origins and symptoms.
Again, officially reported numbers now stand in contrast to the overwhelming reports across media and social media showing overcrowded Chinese hospitals, increasing claims of “white lung” pneumonia, and rising pneumonia deaths across the country.
Chinese in Disbelief
Chinese netizens expressed disbelief at the newly released official numbers.
One post read, “The COVID-19 outbreak is already out of control.” Another read: “I’ve already been infected with COVID-19 3 times. I don’t believe them anymore.” And another read, “Please tell less serious jokes like this.”
Infectious diseases doctors in Shanghai, Anhui Province, and other places told leading Chinese medical site Yixue Jie on Dec. 12 that the number of COVID-19 infections in China was increasing. They predicted a peak of COVID-19 infections across China on about New Year’s Day and said the high numbers may continue through mid-to-late January 2024.
The Yixue Jie report also cited pediatric infection experts saying that “if multiple pathogens are prevalent together, the superimposed severity and mortality rates will rise sharply.”
China has been grappling with a wave of infections that began in September, spiked in mid-October, and rapidly worsened in November, overwhelming hospitals across the country. The infections have been particularly severe in children, many of whom have been exhibiting “white lung” symptoms that are typical of severe COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, the regime has been readopting COVID-19 restrictions. It’s reported that Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have resumed COVID-19 PCR testing at airports, public events, and hospitals. Schools across the country have also begun COVID-19 disinfection by “big whites”—COVID-19 pandemic staff who wear full-body protective clothing.
Sima Nan, one of the regime’s top propagandists and a resident of Beijing, posted a video on social media on Dec. 13 saying that COVID-19 is coming back and that Beijing has recently started vaccination for the elderly.
Vaccination and Mask Mandates
On Dec. 11, state-TV network CCTV reported that Beijing had started COVID-19 vaccination against the XBB strains for key groups such as the elderly. According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC), the current main circulating strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 infections is XBB and its sub-variants.Between Dec. 1 and Dec. 3, China approved five new Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines for “emergency use.” They’re all targeting XBB variants.
According to media reports, as of Dec. 13, many cities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Wuhan, Datong, Yantai, Guangzhou, Xianyang, Suzhou, Nanchang, and Harbin, have started COVID-19 vaccination against the XBB strains.
The CCDC published new mask “guidelines” on Dec. 9 mandating the public to wear masks in various places and on certain occasions to prevent “respiratory infectious diseases.”
It stated that people infected with respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus infection should wear masks in indoor public places or where they have close contact with others and maintain a distance from others of less than one meter (3.3 feet). Those with symptoms of respiratory infectious diseases such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches, and fatigue are also required to wear masks.
The CCDC also stated that during this period of high incidence of respiratory infectious diseases, people should wear masks when attending medical institutions for treatment or when accompanying or visiting patients. Those who visit or work at nursing homes, social welfare institutions, or child care institutions should also wear masks, it stated.
According to the new “guidelines,” masks are mandated on public transportation as well as in other public places, including supermarkets, theaters, passenger terminals, elevators, and other closed and crowded places.
In addition, it said that the elderly, patients with chronic underlying diseases, and pregnant women should wear masks when going to indoor public places and that people should wear masks when they work, study, or live with anyone who has respiratory infectious disease symptoms.
The sweeping new mask mandates quickly caused a stir on Chinese social media.
Sudden Death of CCP’s Vaccine Ambassador
Well-known Hong Kong actress Kathy Chow Hoi-mei suddenly passed away in Beijing on Dec. 11, aged 57. Her death was widely reported by all Chinese-language media and immediately became the most talked about topic on social media.
Ms. Chow was the CCP’s COVID-19 vaccine ambassador and had appeared in a few public service announcements on Chinese TV networks to show that she had been inoculated with Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines and to encourage others to take the shots.
Her last PSA video was released a week before her death, showing her taking her fourth COVID-19 vaccine—a Chinese-made inhaled version.
Ms. Chow’s digital medical records from the Shunyi Hospital of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were allegedly leaked to social media, sparking speculation that her death might have been related to COVID-19. According to the document, which The Epoch Times has been unable to independently verify, Ms. Chow was sent to the emergency room on Dec. 11.
”She was found to have lost consciousness and her heartbeat had stopped for one hour,” the document reads. The record also details what was relayed by her colleague who sent her to the hospital: “The patient had been coughing and wheezing for the past week, and had been taking oxygen therapy at home. Last night (Dec. 10), she had severe wheezing.”
On Dec. 13, the hospital confirmed to Chinese media that the leaked medical record of Ms. Chow was real. Both the hospital and Shunyi District Health Commission said they would cooperate with the police to investigate how the record was leaked.
It was reported that Ms. Chow had been battling lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease, since 1998. Patients with this disease in China are cautioned against taking COVID-19 vaccines due to their potential severe side effects.
Dr. Dong Yuhong, a European virology and infectious disease expert and an Epoch Times contributor, said on Dec. 13 that patients with immune disease, including immune dysfunction, should be extremely cautious when taking COVID-19 vaccines.
“If your immunity is not good, vaccination may not have the expected effect. Especially Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines are inactivated vaccines, which have quality and safety risks,” she said.
Ms. Chow moved from Hong Kong to Beijing in 2002 and had mainly acted in mainland Chinese TV and movie productions.
During Hong Kong’s anti-CCP extradition law movement in 2019, she filmed a pro-CCP short film for mainland media to support the regime’s brutal suppression of all protesters—including nonviolent protesters.
At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Mr. Li described plagues as an inevitability when moral values deteriorate.
Mr. Li’s advice is that people “stay far away from the evil CCP and don’t align with [it] because ... its behavior and actions are thuggish, and it stops at no evil.”
