World health officials are concerned that they are not getting enough information from China as the country ends its strict COVID-19 restrictions.
China lifted many restrictions in December, causing a sharp rise in cases. Chinese state media did not report on this rise. But other reporters and citizens who use social media say there are long lines at health centers, insufficient space in emergency rooms, an increase in funerals and a shortage of cold and fever Medicines.
In Taiwan, Wang Bai-sheng is the leader A widespread infectious disease Command Center. China is not “transparent” or clear on the number of cases, Wang said. “We have very little to understand In its information, it is not very AccurateWang added.
As a result, many governments around the world have mandated that travelers from China be tested for the virus. They include the governments of the United States, Italy, Japan, India, South Korea and Taiwan. The US said China was unclear and had not provided genetic information on the strains of the virus found in China.
World health officials worry that China’s surge in cases could create new ones variation of the virus.
Taiwan says it expects 30,000 people from China to visit the island for the Lunar New Year. Japan has imposed restrictions on flights from China, Hong Kong and Macau. Those flights are allowed to land only at certain airports with virus testing teams.
But Chinese officials say the testing requirements are not reasonable. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin. Some countries have not changed their plans for Chinese travelers, he said. He said countries should treat Chinese travelers like people from other countries.
Chinese health officials say the virus cases in China come from the Omicron variant that affected much of the world a year ago.
Wu Zunyou is a top epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. China is reporting the virus, he said Strains It finds the same way as in the past.
“We’re not keeping anything secret,” he said. “All work is shared with the outside world.”
Sebastian Gulde is a health ministry spokesman in Germany. He said nothing suggests the reopening in China has created a more dangerous variant.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the Director-General of the World Health Organization. He said the organization needed more information from China on the number of people going to hospitals appropriately.Assessment of the situation.”
Miles Yu is director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute in Washington. “Then there is the risk of major outbreaks outside of China,” he said.are unleashed A crowd to a world of victims.”
Dr. David Dowdy is an infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. plan to test travelers from China may not prevent the virus from entering the U.S., but it could pressure China to share more information with the world, he said.
An Associated Press investigation found that China waited a week in January 2020 to release genetic information about the virus. And a World Health Organization expert panel said this year that China did not provide critical information about how the epidemic began.
I’m Faith Pirlo.
Dan Friedel adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report from the Associated Press.
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The words in this story
rise –V. suddenly increase to a higher level
fever -N. A disease that causes high body temperature
A widespread infectious disease -N. A phenomenon where a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people
to understand -N. understanding
variation -N. A version of something slightly but meaningfully different
Strain -N. A group of organisms that are closely related but distinct from the typical species
Assessment -N. The act of making a judgment about something
Unleash –V. To free something, especially an organism, from control
crowd -N. A group of things, objects or people
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