The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday (14) urged China to provide more detailed data on the country’s Covid19 situation after Beijing reported nearly 60,000 deaths related to the disease in just a month.
WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus requested the additional information during a phone call with China National Health Commission director Ma Xiaowei, according to a statement from the organization.
Tedros also reiterated the importance of “greater cooperation and transparency on the part of China” as the information will allow “a better understanding of the epidemiological situation and the impact of this wave” of the disease in the Asian country, the document said.
China has been criticized for its lack of transparency regarding the Covid19 pandemic. In early December, the country ended health restrictions against the coronavirus after protests against the rigidity of these measures. Since then, the number of infections has risen sharply.
In December, health officials recorded just a dozen deaths. However, the National Health Commission reported the first assessment of the situation this Saturday.
“A total of 59,938″ deaths related to Covid19 were recorded between December 8, 2022 and January 12, 2023,” said Jiao Yahui, head of the medical administration office of the commission.
This balance does not include deaths registered outside hospitals; Because of this, the number of records is likely to be underestimated.
The WHO is “analyzing this information” and is asking that “this type of detailed information continues to be shared with us and the public,” the statement said.
China has full hospitals and overcrowded crematoria after the end of the Covid zero policy