In a New Year’s address on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the country is in a new phase of covid control and it has adapted after following a science-based targeted response. The day before this he said the nation’s strategy had been optimized to protect the people’s lives and minimize economic costs.
“Since Covid-19 struck, we have put the people first and put life first all along,” Xi said. “With extraordinary efforts, we have prevailed over unprecedented difficulties and challenges, and it has not been an easy journey for anyone. We have now entered a new phase of Covid response where tough challenges remain.”
Also included in Xi Jinping’s speech was the line, “The light of hope is right in front of us.” This comes as China battles covid following the government’s sudden decision to lift restrictions. The nation’s capital, Beijing, is the worst hit. The hospitals are overwhelmed with patients infected with COVID, while mile-long lines are seen outside crematoriums. On Saturday, China reported more than 7,000 new infections and one death linked to COVID.
Xi Jinping acknowledges the hardship
In the speech, the president also acknowledged the hardships the people of China have faced ever since the emergence of COVID.
Xi Jinping also referenced the protest, that took place in November against the zero-covid policy, saying that it is only natural for a country with 1.4 billion people to have different concerns on some issues. What matters is that we build consensus through communication and consultation.
Finally, the president also mentioned his achievement in October when for the third time in a row he was elected President.
Currently, reports from China show that there are thousands of new covid cases every day. The government’s top health authority estimated as many as 248 million people, which is nearly 18% of the Chinese population, contracted the virus in the first 20 days of December. The nation sees around 25,000 deaths per day from Covid 19 in January, according to Airfinity Ltd, a London-based research firm that focuses on predictive health analytics.
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