China epidemic situation controllable: Beijing

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China has sufficient medical supplies, and the situation is under control with regard to the epidemic, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday, highlighting that the status quo was within forecast as Beijing continues to share relevant information with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the international community.

The Chinese government has stuck to the concept of putting people and life first since the COVID-19 outbreak Mao said, highlighting that Beijing formulated epidemic prevention policies that are based on the nation's situation and in line with the interests of the majority of the people.

Furthermore, she said that the policies in question have effectively protected the lives and health of the people when COVID-19 was at its highest level of threat.

Giving the public some good news, Mao underlined that vaccination rates continue to increase, the treatment capacity continues to improve, the production capacity of medical supplies continues to expand, and overall supply is sufficient.

Currently, she revealed, more than 90% of the Chinese population had been fully vaccinated by early December, with more than 86.6% of people aged above 60 and 66.4% of those above 80 completing their vaccinations.

This comes after reports said that nursing homes in China are struggling to keep their elderly safe after a wave of COVID-19 infections recently swept the country.

The buildings have been locking themselves off from the outside world, with staff members sleeping on site and struggling to get medication supplies.

China, the spokesperson added, has been working with the rest of the world to respond in a more efficient manner to the challenges posed by the epidemic, as well as better protect people's lives, jointly push forward the steady recovery of the economy, and promote the building of a community of common health for mankind.

Western media has been exaggerating the situation in the country after China adjusted its epidemic control strategy with a sheer focus on preventing severe cases, claiming that Beijing has been facing a shortage of medical supplies and personnel.

The South China Morning Post newspaper said in a report published on Thursday that Chinese citizens living in Singapore have been sending their relatives back home antipyretic medicine as a new wave of Covid hits the country.

Among the medicinal drugs sent home is Panadol which is apparently going missing from pharmacies in Singapore after the increased buying trend.

According to a pharmacy employee, one Chinese customer purchased $315 worth of Panadol, depleting their stocks, adding that the same customer came 2 days later and bought again the entire stock.

Chinese people are standing in unison to withstand the wave of massive infections and striving to take the opportunity for economic recovery, Mao stressed.

Wu Zunyou, a top infectious disease specialist for China's CDC, predicted at the Caijing Annual Conference on December 17 that between 10% and 30% of Chinese people may get COVID-19 this winter, with a risk of death of between 0.09% and 0.16%.