Recent revelations from ordinary citizens in different parts of China suggest that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has demanded the destruction of all data related to the COVID-19 pandemic period. One of the doctors involved in the data destruction disclosed details to the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times.
The doctor, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, works at a hospital in a northern city in China. He stated that the destruction of data related to COVID-19 patients began shortly after Beijing suddenly ended the three-year-long zero-COVID policy in December 2022.
However, a nationwide COVID-19 outbreak was exposed when the lockdowns were lifted. According to Chinese reports, hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, and long queues formed outside funeral homes.
“Hospitals hold the most detailed data. For a deceased person to be cremated, verification by two doctors and the attending physician is required to determine the cause of death,” he explained.
According to him, the destroyed data included patient records of hospital visits, vaccine injections, emergency hospitalizations, symptoms at the time, signed death certificates, discussions on deaths, medication usage, and other related information.
“There were also documents signed by personnel from the public security bureau indicating that the deceased was confirmed to have died from COVID-19 and permitting cremation,” he added.
The doctor said that his hospital destroyed data at least once a month, adding, “It happens sometimes twice a month and is always verbally communicated. Each time, roughly 100 or more documents are destroyed, depending on the size of the hospital.”
The local public security bureau political commissar approved the process, he said, which the deputy county mayor signed off. Six individuals, including police officers, supervised the incineration of the data in designated areas.
He recounted traveling to an undisclosed location where data was destroyed.
“During the trip, the car windows were covered. ...At the location, there [were no landmarks] in the surroundings, no sense of direction. Sometimes it felt like the car traveled a long distance, other times it seemed like it was circling, and occasionally it just drove straight,” he said.
“Destroying data usually occurred in the middle of the night when the doctors responsible for relevant records are pulled out of their beds to go to the hospital to retrieve the data and then escorted to the crematorium. They are not allowed to bring their phones,” he added.
According to his description, the site of incineration is heavily guarded, with police officers and officials stationed there, as well as a local armed police squadron on duty with guns.
“There’s a huge pit with a ladder. They pour hot paraffin [on the documents], followed by gasoline and alcohol, then everyone leaves,” he recounted.
“Some of the people were dressed in white and others in black,” he said, indicating that those in black were police officers. “No one spoke, which made it difficult to identify anyone.”
The doctor said hospital staff are afraid to discuss the matter openly because the administration warned them.
“If you want to stay alive, keep your mouth shut,” he said.
“With such strict control over big data, who would dare to speak out? Doctors just sigh and say, ‘It’s tough to survive in this world,’” he added.
‘Clear Obstacles’
A Changsha, Hunan resident previously told The Epoch Times that Beijing demands the following: “No data can be spared, neither on paper nor on computers. Vaccine administration records are to be destroyed, as well as records of nucleic acid testing and any embarrassing incidents that occurred during the entire epidemic prevention process.”The Epoch Times is unable to verify the resident’s claims.
The state mouthpiece Xinhua claimed that “the initial batch of 1 billion pieces of information, totaling 1.7 terabytes, was successfully eradicated.”
The anonymous doctor told The Epoch Times that destroying the data was meant “to prevent government secrets from leaking out, to strengthen confidentiality, and to prevent citizens from informing the international community. It’s to clear obstacles for the next steps of China’s plans.”
Severe Infections in Rural Areas
The doctor told The Epoch Times that he was required to visit rural areas frequently, where he saw that many families were particularly hit hard during the pandemic due to poverty and weak health care systems.“Many people in rural areas who couldn’t afford medication and contracted COVID-19 ended up waiting at home and dying—and this was widespread,” he said.
“Some villages even disappeared entirely [because all the residents died from the pandemic]. The local authorities sent people to spray gasoline and diesel on everything flammable and ignited it with flamethrowers. ... Then, they demolished everything, and the entire village was gone within a few days. Many children died,” he continued.
“But the population remains as reported. If someone dies and their household registration is canceled, the subsidies provided by higher authorities will be terminated,” he added.
He mentioned that during the CCP’s mandatory vaccination campaign, “some individuals received up to four doses of the vaccine, using the quota intended for deceased individuals.”
“The village party secretary earns 500 yuan [about $70] for each villager vaccinated. If the household registration of the deceased is canceled, won’t this income be lost?”
The Epoch Times is unable to verify the doctor’s claims.
