Update on the Pandemic Situation in China

(Minghui.org) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for controlling citizens tightly and the pandemic is no exception. “The world has largely moved on from Covid - except for China, where towns and cities are still shut down overnight,” wrote a October 21 BBC news article titled “China Covid: The politics driving the hellish lockdowns.”

Below are the latest pandemic updates under China’s zero-Covid policy received by Minghui.org.

Heilongjiang Province

Mudanjiang, the largest city in eastern Heilongjiang Province, began a 72-hour curfew on the morning of October 28. During this period of time, all persons and vehicles entering the city would be inspected, reported local media.

The curfew was triggered by findings from a nucleic-acid-test-for-all campaign. On October 27, 709,438 samples were collected covering nearly everyone in the city center and one of them was positive, from an express delivery worker living in Yangming District. Although only one person tested positive, a large portion of the city was placed under curfew for 72 hours with everyone inspected.

In addition to Yangming District, other parts of the city such as Aimin District, Dong’an District, and nearby counties were also guarded by police. People could enter those areas, but they were not allowed to go out.

Hebei Province

Gaobeidian, a county-level city in Hebei Province, is currently under lockdown. Even in the countryside, major roads are guarded and no pedestrians are allowed to go through. In some areas, people are not allowed to leave their homes. Officials only said the pandemic situation is serious, but no details were provided.

Based on information collected by the Minghui reader who provided this news item, the number of positive cases was under-reported because local officials are afraid of being removed from their positions. With no one allowed to come out of their homes, autumn harvest in the land is also forbidden.

Hubei Province

Wuhan City of Hubei Province began a three-day lockdown on October 20. All residential areas and stores were shut down. Only banks, gas stations, and pharmacies were allowed to open.

According to media reports, a person surnamed Chen traveled from Urumqi in Xinjiang Province on October 8 to Tongji Hospital in Wuhan for a kidney transplant. There were also two drivers and one caretaker in the ambulance. After traveling over 3,000 kilometers (or 2,000 miles) and arriving at Tongji outpatient clinic on October 10, Chen initially tested negative, but then tested positive the following day. When Chen was in the emergency department’s observation room during that time, at least 80 people went in and out, and they were assigned to 24 patient rooms and required care from 45 different departments in the hospital. In total, more than 1,400 people may be affected by Chen’s positive results.

Since then, some positive cases were detected here and there in various cities in Hubei Province including Wuhan, Huanggang, Jingmen, and Xiangyang.

Some people questioned how Chen could travel 2,000 miles in two days without a problem despite the tight lockdown and other travel restrictions in China. Plus, hardly any news in China reported Chen’s visit for kidney transplantation. There has been evidence showing that Tongji Hospital has been involved in forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. It is unclear whether Chen’s visit is also related to this.

Sichuan Province

Numerous cities and counties in Sichuan Province, including the city center of Chengdu, were under travel restrictions since September 1. With little notice in advance, people rushed to purchase food, which led to soaring prices. The restriction was announced to be three days initially, but it was extended afterwards.

Moreover, daily nucleic acid tests are mandatory; otherwise, one is not allowed to go out. Even with a nucleic acid test, only one person per household is allowed to go out two hours a day for shopping. This policy was further tightened on September 8. Everyone must do the acid test every day. For those who skip nucleic acid tests for two days in a row, they would be forced to be sent to quarantine locations with their homes sealed.

As countries from around the world have lifted Covid restrictions, the CCP continues its draconian Covid controls. Many believe this is an extension of the totalitarian rule by the CCP in the past few decades. The mandatory nucleic acid test has become a powerful tool for the CCP to monitor citizens, especially dissidents and minority groups.